BM 

j506  _^ 

A2E5  I 

1916  liYINGS    OF    THE 

~ir-:r^WISH    FATHERS 


rtittoH^MMWliiifil^MMarilMlM 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Xtbrar^  of  3e\vtgb  Clagetcg 


I.    Leopold  Zunz:  The  Sufferings  of  the 
Jews  During  the  Middle  Ages 
II.    Hyman  Hurwitz:  Talmudic  Tales 
III.    "PiRKE  Abot":   The  Sayings  of  the 
Jewish  Fathers 


LIBRARY   OF   JEWISH    CLASSICS— III. 

C|)e  ^apingsi  of  tfje 
Sfetois!)  jfatfjers 

"PIKKE  ABOT" 


Translated,  with   an 
Introduction   and   Notes 

BY 

JOSEPH  I.  GORFINKLE,  Ph.D. 

Author  of 
"  The   Eight   Chapters   of   Maimoriides   on   Ethics " 


r 


I. 


SECOND '^ff^f.    yV    fjil", 

'•^ioux  v-'i"y.  lew 


^:-^--^-^- 


NEW 
BLOCK   PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

"  The  Jewish  Book  Concern  " 
191G 


Copyright,  1913,  by  Block  Publishing  Co. 


CONTENTS 


Preface 
Introduction 

Name 

Purpose  . 

Description 

Contents 

Language 

Development  of  Abot 

Abot  in  Liturgy 

Bibliography 

Chapter      I 

Chapter    II J 

Chapter  III 

Chapter   IV 

Chapter     V  ] 

Chapter   VI 

Hebrew  Text  (Appendix) 


PAGE 

7 


9 
11 
13 
13 
15 
16 
19 
21 

29 
39 
51 
64 
75 
91 
3-30 


IV 


PREFACE 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  there  are  many 
editions  of  the  Sayings  of  the  Jewish  Fathers,  and 
that  it  has  been  translated  innumerable  times  in  all 
modern  tongues,  no  apology  need  be  given  for  the 
appearance  of  this  little  volume  in  the  series  of 
Jewish  Classics.  The  Pii'ke  Abot  is  indeed  a  clas- 
sical bit  of  that  ancient  Jewish  classic,  the  Mishnah. 

The  translation  in  this  edition  is  based  largely 
upon  that  of  Taylor,  in  his  Sayings  of  the  Jewish 
Fathers,  and  upon  the  excellent  version  of  Singer, 
in  his  Authorized  Daily  Prayer  Book. 

This  edition  is  intended  mainly  for  popular  read- 
ing, but  it  has  oeen  thought  wise  to  amplify  the 
notes,  especially  with  bibliog  aphical  references,  so 
that  it  may  serve  the  purpose  of  a  teacher's  hand- 
book, and  also  be  useful  as  a  text-book  for  the 
higher  grades  of  religious  schools  and  for  study 
circles.  The  references  are  to  books  that  are  gen- 
erally accessible,  and,  wherever  possible,  to  books 
in  English.  The  notes  are  by  no  means  intended 
to  be  exhaustive,  but  rather  to  be  suggestive. 

It  is  the  humble  hope  of  the  editor  that  this  little 
book  may  be  the  means  of  further  popularizing  the 
practical    and,     at    the    same    time,     high-minded 

7 


^aa 


8  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

wisdom  of  the  "Fathers";  that  it  may  serve  as  an 
incentive  to  a  more  detailed  study  of  their  philoso- 
phy of  life,  and  that  its  appearance  may  help  to 
lead  in  a  revival  of  that  most  ancient  and  praise- 
worthy custom  of  reading  the  Pirke  Ahot  in  the 
house  of  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  during  the  sum- 
mer months.  Let  him  into  whose  hands  these  say- 
ings fall  "meditate  upon  them  day  and  night,"  for 
"he  who  would  be  saintly  must  fulfil  the  dicta  of 
the  Fathers." 

Joseph  I.  Gorfinkle. 
Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y. 
February,  1913. 


INTRODUCTION 

Name 

The  Tractate  Abet  {Massechet  Abet)  is  the  ninth 
treatise  of  The  Order  or  Series  on  Damages  (Seder 
Nezikin),  which  is  the  fourth  section  of  the  Mish- 
nah  (1).  It  is  commonly  known  in  Hebrew  as  Pirke 
Abot,  The  Chapters  of  the  Fathers,  and  has  also  been 
termed  Mishnat  ha-Chasidim,  Instruction  for  the 
Pious,  because  of  the  Rabbinic  saying,  "He  who 
wishes  to  be  pious,  let  him  practise  the  teachings 
of  Abot"  (2).  On  account  of  the  nature  of  its  con- 
tents, it  is  generally  designated  in  English  as  the 
Ethics  of  the  Fathers.  Taylor  entitles  his  edition 
Dibre  Aboth  ha-Olam,  Saijings  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
World,  and  has  as  the  English  title.  Sayings  of  the 
Jewish  Fathers.  Gustav  Gottheil  refers  to  the  Abot 
as  the  Sayings  of  the  Pharisaic  Fathers  (3).  Its 
German  title  is    generally    Die  Spriiche  der  Vdter, 

(1)  See  infra,  p.  87,  n.  61. 

(2)  Baba  Kamma,  30a.  See  Taylor,  Sayings  of  the  Jewish 
Fathers,  p.  3.  Maimonides  refers  to  this  saying  in  the  Fore- 
word of  his  Eight  Chapters;  see  Gorfinkle,  The  Eight  Chap- 
ters, etc.,  p.  34. 

(3)  See  Sun  and  Shield,  p.  321  et  passim.  See  infra,  n.  8, 
which  accounts  for  the  use  of  "Pharisaic." 


10  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

and  in  French  it  is  usually  rendered   Chapitres   or 
Maximes  des  Peres. 

The  use  of  the  word  Abot  (fathers),  in  the  title,  is 
of  very  ancient  date.  We  can  only  guess  at  the 
reason  for  its  being  used,  and,  consequently, 
there  are  various  explanations  for  it.  Samuel  de 
Uceda,  in  his  collective  commentary,  says  that  as 
this  tractate  of  the  Mishnah  contains  advice  and 
good  counsel,  which,  for  the  most  part,  come  from 
a  father,  the  Rabbis  mentioned  in  it  adopt  the  role 
of  "fathers,"  and  are  therefore  so  designated. 
This  explanation  does  not,  however,  deter  him 
f  om  advancing  another  to  the  effect  that  this 
treatise  is  the  basis  of  all  subsequent  ethical  and 
moral  teachings  and  doctrines,  and  the  Rabbis  are, 
in  consequence,  the  "fathers"  or  prototypes  of 
all  ethical  teachers  and  moralists  (4).  Loeb  at- 
tributes its  use  to  the  fact  that  the  Rabbis  of  Abot 
are  the  "fathers"  or  "ancestors  of  Rabbinic  Juda- 
ism" (5),  Hoffmarm  states  that  the  word  abot 
means  "teachers  of  tradition"  (Traditionslehrcr) , 
and  points  to  the  expression  abot  ha-olam  {Eduyot, 
I.  4),  which,  translated  Hterally,  is  "fathers  of  the 
world,"  but  is  used  to  designate  the  most  distin- 
guished teachers,  which  is  a  true  characterization 
of  the  Rabbis  of  Abot  (6).     Taylor  says  in  regard 

(4)  Midrash  Shemuel  (ed.  Warsaw,  1876),  p.  6.  The  Mid- 
rash  Shemuel  is  a  collective  commentary,  first  published  in 
Venice  in  1579,  and  which  has  since  passed  through  six  edi- 
tions.    See  p.  22,  n.  21. 

(5)  La  Chaine,  etc.,  p.  307,  n.  1. 

(6)  See  Hoffmann,  Seder  Nesikin,  Introd.,  p.  xx,  and  p. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  II 

to  the  title,  "It  takes  its  name  from  the  fact  that 
it  consists  to  a  great  extent  of  the  maxims  of  the 
Jewish  Fathers  whose  names  are  mentioned  in  its 
pages"  (7).  Hoffmann's  seems  the  most  accept- 
able explanation. 

Purpose 

The  original  aim  of  Abot  was  to  show  the  divine 
source  and  authority  of  the  traditional  law  revealed 
to  Moses  on  Mt.  Sinai,  and  to  demonstrate  its  con- 
tinuity from  Moses  through  Joshua,  the  elders, 
and  the  men  of  the  Great  Synagogue,  down  to 
those  Rabbis  who  lived  during  the  period  between 
200  B.c.E.  to  200  c.E.  Loeb  maintains  that  Abot 
was  originally  a  composition  of  the  Pharisaic 
Rabbis  who  wished  to  indicate  that  the  traditions 
held  and  expounded  by  them,  and  which  the  Sad- 
ducees  repudiated,  were  divine  and,  in  time  and 
sequence,   uninterruptedly   authoritative  (8).     This 

258,  n.  36.  In  this  passage  of  Eduyot,  Hillel  and  Shammai 
are  referred  to  as  abot  ha-olam;  in  Yerushalmi  Shekalim,  III, 
47b,  Rabbi  Ishmael  and  Rabbi  Akiba,  and  in  Yerushalmi 
Chagigah,  II,  77d,  all  the  pairs  of  Abot  I  are  similarly  desig- 
nated. 

(7)  Taylor,  loc.  cit. 

(8)  La  Chaine,  etc.  The  Sadducees  belonged  to  the 
priestly  and  aristocratic  families.  They  made  light  of  the 
oral  traditions,  did  not  believe  in  the  future  life,  and  were 
indifferent  to  the  independence  of  the  Jewish  nation.  The 
Pharisees,  on  the  other  hand,  were  constituted  largely  from 
the  common  people;  they  were  believers  in,  and  strict  ob- 
servers of,  the  traditional  laws,  and  were  ardent  nationalists. 


12  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

line  of  continuous  tradition  is  plainly  seen  in  the 
first  two  chapters.  A  second  and  probably  later 
purpose  was  to  present  a  body  of  practical  maxims 
and  aphorisms  for  the  daily  guidance  of  the 
people. 

The  bitter  attack  of  Jesus  upon  them,  which  has  resulted  in 
making  the  word  "Pharisee"  synonymous  with  "hypocrite" 
and  "self-righteous  person,"  was,  to  say  the  least,  unjust,  as 
Herford  has  so  lucidly  pointed  out  in  his  sympathetic  study  of 
the  Pharisees.  Herford,  though  not  a  Jew,  has  taken  up  the 
cudgels  most  ably  in  defence  of  this  sect,  with  remarkable 
insight  into  the  life  and  literature  of  the  ancient  Jews.  He 
demonstrates  conclusively  that  though  there  were  hypo- 
crites among  the  Pharisees,  as  among  all  classes  and  creeds, 
yet  the  average  Pharisee  was  a  man  of  the  most  elevated 
rehgious  ideals,  who  misunderstood  Jesus,  but  who,  in  turn 
was  misunderstood  by  him.  Huxley,  in  his  Evolution  oj 
Theology,  says,  "of  all  the  strange  ironies  of  history,  perhaps 
the  strangest  is  that  'Pharisee'  is  current  as  a  term  of  re- 
proach among  the  theological  descendants  of  that  sect  of 
Nazarenes  who,  without  the  martyr  spirit  of  those  primitive 
Puritans,  would  never  have  come  into  existence."  Such 
great  teachers  and  men  of  sterling  quaUty  and  golden  utter- 
ance as  Antigonus  of  Soko  (I,  3),  Hillel  (I,  12-14;  II,  5-8), 
Jochanan  ben  Zakkai  (II,  9-19),  Gamaliel,  whose  pupil  was 
Paul,  the  apostle  (I,  IG),  and  Judah,  the  Prince  (II,  1),  whose 
sayings  grace  the  pages  of  Ahot,  were,  as  Loeb  points  out, 
of  the  Pharisaic  school  or  party.  There  is  naturally  a  large 
literature  on  the  Pharisees.  Herford 's  Pharisaism  deserves 
careful  perusal.  See,  also,  Josephus  (ed.  Whiston-Margoh- 
outh),  Antiq.,  XIII,  10.6,  XVIII,  1,  2-4;  Schiirer,  History 
of  the  Jews,  etc.,  II,  ii,  p.  14  et  seq.;  Jewish  Encyclopedia  and 
literature  mentioned  there;  Geiger,  Judaism  and  Its  His- 
tory, p.  102  et  seq.,  and  Friedlander,  G.,  The  Jewish  Sources 
of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  p.  34  ci  seq. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  13 

Description 

The  Sayings  of  the  Jewish  Fathers  is  the  oldest  col- 
lection of  ethical  dicta  of  the  Rabbis  of  the  Mishnah 
(9).  It  is  a  Rabbinic  anthology.  It  has  been  happily 
styled  "a  compendium  of  practical  ethics  "  (10), 
and,  as  Mielziner  has  said,  ''these  Rabbinical  sen- 
tences, if  properly  arranged,  present  an  almost 
complete  code  of  hmiian  duties"  (11).  The  Ahot  is, 
then,  a  sort  of  moral  code. 

Contents 

Even  a  superficial  reading  of  Ahot  will  bring  home 
to  one  the  fact  that  it  is  made  up  of  various  strata. 
In  fact,  it  falls  naturally  into  the  following  strands 
or  divisions: 

A.  Chapter  I,  1-15:  Chronologically  arranged  say- 
ings of  the  oldest  authorities,  from  the  men 
of  the  Great  Synagogue  to  Hillel  and 
Shammai. 

(9)  There  was  another,  and  apparently  older,  recension  of 
Pirke  Ahot  on  which  is  based  the  Ahot  de-Rahhi  Natan,  an 
hagadic  or  honiiletical  exposition  of  Ahot.  Two  recensions  of 
Ahot  de-Rabbi  Natan  exist,  and  have  been  edited  by  Schech- 
ter.  On  this  work,  see  Hoffmann,  Die  ersle  Mischna,  p.  2G 
et  seq.,  Mielziner,  article  Abot  de-Rubhi  Natan,  in  Jewish 
Encyclopedia,  Strack,  Einleituug,  p.  69  et  seq.,  anil  Pollak, 
Rabbi  Nathans  System,  etc.,  Irdroduction,  pp.  7-9.  An  Eng- 
lish translation  is  found  hi  Rodkinson's  edition  of  the  Tal- 
mud, vol.  V,  p.  1  et  seq. 

(10)  Taylor,  loc.  cit.  Lazarus,  Ethics  of  Judaism,  II,  ll.'i, 
calls  it  "a  compendium  of  ethics. " 

(11)  In  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Ahot. 


14  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

B.  (1)  Chapters  I,  16-11,  4:  Sayings  of  the  men  of 

the  school  of  Hillel  to  Rabban  GamaHcl 
(about  230  c.e.),  the  son  of  Judah 
ha-Nasi. 

(2)  Chapter  II,  5-8:  Additional  sayings  of 
Hillel. 

C.  (1)  Chapter  II,  9-19:  The  sayings  of  Jochanan 

ben  Zakkai,  the  pupil  of  Hillel,  and  of  his 
disciples. 

(2)  Chapter  II,  20-21:  The  sayings  of  Rabbi 
Tarfon,  a  younger  contemporary  of  Jochanan 
ben  Zakkai. 

D.  Chapter   III:  The   maxims   of   seventeen   Tan- 

naim  (authoritie ;  mentioned  in  the  Mish- 
nah)  to  the  time  of  and  including  Rabbi 
Akiba.  These  are  not  arranged  in  strictly 
chronological  order. 

E.  Chapter  IV:  The  sayings  of  twenty-five  Tan- 

naim  after  the  time  of  Rabbi  Akiba,  who 
were  contemporaries  of  Rabbi  Meir  and 
of  Rabbi  Judah  ha-Nasi.  These  are  not 
chronologically  arranged. 

F.  (1)  Chapter  V,  1-18:  Anonymous  sayings  form- 

ing a  series  of  groups  of  ten,  seven,  and  four 
things,  dealing  with  the  creation  of  the 
world,  with  miracles,  and  with  the  varieties 
of  men  and  minds. 

(2)  Chapter     V,   19-22:     Anonymous     sayings 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  15 

touching  upon  the  varieties  of  motives  and 
contrasting  the  good  and  evil  dispositions. 

(3)  Chapter  V,  23:  Sayings  of  Judah  ben  Tema. 

(4)  Chapter  V,  24 :  The  ages  of  man. 

(5)  Chapter  V,  25,  26:  The  sayings  of  Ben  Bag 
Bag  and  of  Ben  He  He. 

G.  Chapter  ,  VI:  The    acquisition    of    the    Torah; 
praise  of  the  Torah. 

Language 

The  language  of  Abot  is  easy  Mishnaic  Hebrew, 
with  portions  of  four  verses  (I,  13;  II,  7;  V,  25,  and 
V,  26)  in  Aramaic,  \/hich  is  closely  related  to  He- 
brew. It  is  worth};  of  note  that  these  Aramaic 
portions  originated  with  the  school  of  Hillel  (12). 

(12)  On  the  language  of  the  Mishnah,  see  Mielziner,  In- 
troduction to  the  Talmud,  pp.  15-16,  and  Lauterbach  in  Jeu;- 
ish  Encyclopedia,  vol.  II,  p.  614.  On  the  use  of  Aramaic  in 
the  Mishnah,  see  Schtirer,  History,  I,  ii,  p.  8  et  seq.,  and 
Bacher,  in  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Aramaic  Language  Among 
the  Jews.  Several  centuries  before  the  common  era,  Aramaic 
was  the  vernacular  of  the  Jews.  Hebrew,  however,  remained 
in  use  as  the  sacred  language  {^1\>T\  X\^7),  it  being  the  lan- 
guage of  the  learned,  and  was  employed  for  literary,  litur- 
gical, and  legal  purposes.  This  accounts  for  the  Mishnah 
being  written  almost  entirely  in  Hebrew,  though  Aramaic 
was  spoken  on  the  streets.  It  is  related  of  Judah  ha-Nasi 
that  he  disliked  the  Aramaic  jargon  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  forbade  its  use  in  his  home,  where  even  the  servants  spoke 
Hebrew  with  elegance  {Rosh  ha-Shanah,  26b).  When 
scholars  used  Aramaic  in  his  presence,  he  chided  them  for 
not  speaking  in  Hebrew  or  in  Greek  {Baba  Kamma,  82b). 


16  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

Development  of  Abot  (13) 

It  is  apparent  from  the  literary  construction  of 
Ahot  that  it  has  been  edited  several  times,  and  that, 
in  its  earhest  form,  the  Abot  collection  was  much 
smaller  than  we  have  it  to-day.  Originally,  prob- 
ably shortly  after  the  time  of  Hillel,  it  may  have 
been  merely  a  sort  of  appendix  to  the  Tractate  San- 
hedrin,  with  typical  sayings  of  each  of  the  heads 
of  the  Sanhedrin.  These  dicta  are  contained  in 
what  is  designated  as  section  A.  Later,  presum- 
ably by  Rabbi  Akiba,  there  were  added  to  this 
original  kernel  of  Abot  the  sayings  of  Rabbi  Jo- 
chanan  ben  Zakkai  and  his  most  illustrious  pupils, 
which  comprise  section  C.  This  resulted  in  the 
grouping  together  of  the  sayings  of  ten  generations 
of  traditional  authorities,  as  follows:  (1)  the  men 
of  the  Great  Synagogue,  (2)  Simon,  the  Just,  (3) 
Antigonus  of  Soko,  (4)  Jose  ben  Joezer  and  Jose 
ben  Jochanan,  (5)  Joshua  ben  Perachiah  and  Nit- 
tai,  the  Arbelite,  (6)  Judah  ben  Tabbai  and  Simeon 
ben  Shatach,  (7)  Shemaiah  and  Abtalion,  (8)  Hillel 
and  Shammai,  (9)  Jochanan  ben  Zakkai,  and  (10)  the 
latter's  disciples.     By  association  of  idea  with  this 

(13)  On  the  subject-matter  of  this  section,  consult  Hoff- 
mann, Die  erste  Mischna,  pp.  26-37;  idem,  Mischnaiot  Seder 
Nesikin,  Introd.,  pp.  XX-XXI;  BriiU,  Enstehung  und  urs- 
priinglicher  Inhalt  des  Traklates  Abot;  Loeb,  La  Chaine,  etc.; 
Ginzburg,  Spruche  der  Vdter,  erstes  Capitel  historisch  beleuchlet 
(Leipzig,  1889);  Strack,  Die  Spruche  der  Vdtei,  Introd.,  pp. 
7-8;  idem,  Einleitung,  p.  52,  and  Ilawicz,  Commeniar  des 
Maimonides,  p.  105,  n.  3. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  17 

number  ten,  there  were  added  to  this  collection 
numerical  sayings  of  ten,  and,  then,  others  of  seven 
and  four,  found  in  chapter  V,  1-9  and  10-13. 

Into  this  enlarged  kernel  of  pithy  sayings  of  the 
oldest  authorities,  which  may  be  characterized  as 
the  Abot  of  Rabbi  Akiba,  later  Tannaim — Rabbi 
Meir,  Rabbi  Judah  ha-Nasi,  and  others — interpo- 
lated additional  sayings  of  the  afore-mentioned 
Rabbis,  and  also  typical  utterances  of  their  dis- 
ciples, and  of  other  well-known  teachers.  This 
accounts  for  the  presence  in  Abot  of  the  body  of 
maxims  of  the  six  generations  of  the  school  of  Hillel, 
designated  above  as  section  B  1,  and  which  was 
very  properly  introduced  after  the  aphorisms  of 
Hillel  and  of  his  contemporary,  Shammai.  The 
thread  of  tradition  being  interrupted  by  this  inter- 
polation, it  was  again  taken  up  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  another  body  of  Hillel's  sayings  (B  2),  thus 
providing  for  a  natural  transition  from  Hillel  to 
Jochanan  ben  Zakkai.  Proof  of  the  fact  that  sec- 
tion B  is  an  addition  is  that  in  the  Abot  de-Rabbi 
Natan — which,  as  has  been  said  above,  is  based  on  an 
older  version  of  Abot  (14) — the  sayings  of  Jochan- 
an ben  Zakkai  follow  immediately  upon  those  of 
Shammai.  The  sayings  of  Judah  ha-Nasi,  the  redac- 
tor of  the  Mishnah,  and  of  Rabbi  Gamaliel,  his  son, 
were  undoubtedly  added  after  the  time  of  Judah. 

Chapter  III  contains  the  sayings  of  authorities 
who  were  the  predecessors  of  Judah,  the  first  two 

(14)  See  supra,  p.  13,  n.  9. 


18  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

having  lived  before  the  destruction  of  the  second 
Temple.  Chapter  IV  is  made  up  of  the  dicta  of  a 
number  of  Rabbis  who  were  contemporaries  of 
Judah.  These  two  chapters  were,  no  doubt,  in- 
serted by  Judah,  the  redactor  of  the  MisJmah  as 
we  virtually  have  it  to-day.  Evidence  that  Chap- 
ter IV  is  an  addition  to  the  original  Ahot  is  that  it 
has  a  number  of  aphorisms  which  are  repetitions  of 
some  found  in  Chapters  I  and  II.  The  greater 
part  of  Chapter  V,  as  stated  above,  was  a  portion 
of  the  Ahot  of  Rabbi  Akiba. 

Chapter  VI,  which  is  known  as  The  Chapter  on 
the  Acquisition  of  Tor  ah  (Perek  Kinyan  Tor  ah), 
as  The  External  Teaching  of  Ahot  (Baraita  de-Ahot) 
(15),  as  The  Chapter  of  Rdbhi  Melr  {Perek  Rahbi 
Melr)  (16),  and  as  The  External  Teaching  of  Rahhi 
Meir  {Baraita  de-Rahhi  Meir),  is  a  supplement  of 
the  treatise  Ahot,  as  is  claimed  for  it  by  its  super- 
scription, "the  sages  taught  in  the  language  of  the 
Mishnah,"  a  formula  generally  used  in  the  Talmud 

(15)  A  Baraita  contains  traditions  and  opinions  of  author- 
ities of  the  Mishnah  which  are  not  embodied  in  the  Mishnah 
of  Rabbi  Judah  ha-Nasi.  See  Mielziner,  Introduction  to  the 
Talmud,  pp.  20-21,  Strack,  Einleitung  in  den  Talmud,  p.  3, 
and  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  s.v.  A  gemara  (Talmudical 
commentary)  to  the  Baraita  de-Abot  was  published  from  a 
MS.  by  Coronel  in  Chamishah  Kuntresin  (Vienna,  1864). 
This  baraita  is  found  also  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Tanna 
de-Be  Eliyahu  Sidta,  but  with  different  textual  readings. 
See  Ginzberg,  in  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  II,  pp.  516-517. 

(16)  Known  thus  because  Rabbi  Meir's  name  is  found  in 
the  first  verse. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  19 

to  introduce  a  Baraita.  One  of  the  authorities 
mentioned  in  it  is  Joshua  ben  Levi,  a  Palestinian 
amora  (an  authority  of  the  Gemara)  who  lived  dur- 
ing the  third  century.  This  demonstrates  the  com- 
paratively late  date  of  the  final  redaction  of  this 
chapter.  By  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  it 
formed  a  part  of  the  treatise  Ahot.  It  was  added 
to  the  prayer-book  to  be  read  on  the  sixth  Sabbath 
of  the  period  between  Passover  and  the  Festival  of 
Weeks  (Shebuot)  (17). 

Abot  in  the  Liturgy  (18) 

As  Taylor  has  said,  "Its  simplicity  and  intrinsic 
excellence  have  secured  for  Abot  a  widespread  and 
lasting  popularity,  and  have  led  to  its  being  ex- 
cerpted from  the  Talmud  and  used  liturgically  in 
the  Synagogue,  at  certain  seasons,  from  an  early 
period"  (19).     Thus,  the  Abot  is  found  not  only  in 

(17)  See  next  section.  The  sixth  chapter  is  found  in  some 
editions  of  the  Mishnah. 

(18)  On  the  subject-matter  of  this  section,  see  the  cita- 
tion from  Sar  Shalom  Gaon,  in  the  Siddur  of  R.  Amram,  30a; 
Midrash  Shemuel,  pp.  3-4;  Zunz,  Die  Ritus,  pp.  85-86; 
Strack,  Die  Spn'iche  der  Vdter,  p.  6,  and  Siddur,  ed.  Baer, 
p.  271,  note.  Other  portions  of  the  Mishnah  and  also  of 
the  Talmud  that  are  included  in  the  hturgy  are,  in  the  morn- 
ing service,  Zebachim  V  {Siddur,  ed.  Singer,  p.  11);  in  the 
evening  service  for  the  Sabbath,  Sabbat,  II  (pp.  120-122), 
and,  from  the  Talmud,  end  of  Berachot  (p.  122) ;  in  the  addi- 
tional service  for  Sabbath  and  festivals,  from  the  Talmud, 
Keritot,  6a,  from  the  Mishnah,  end  of  Tamid,  and  from  the 
Talmud,  end  of  Berachot  (pp.  167-168). 

(19)  Taylor,  loc.  cit. 


20  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

all  editions  of  the  Mishnah  and  the  Talmud,  but 
also  in  the  prayer-books  of  the  Ashkenazic  rite  (20). 
The  practice  of  reading  a  chapter  from  Ahot,  on 
Saturday,  after  the  afternoon  prayer  (Minchah), 
originated  as  early  as  Gaonic  times  (seventh  to 
eleventh  centuries).  During  the  middle  of  the 
ninth  century,  Ahot  and  its  Baraita  were  thus 
liturgically  used.  In  Spanish  (ommunities  it  was 
recited  in  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath  and  not  in 
the  afternoon.  By  the  eleventh  century,  this  cus- 
tom was  universally  a  part  of  the  synagogal  service. 
Originally,  Ahot  was  probably  read  only  from 
Passover  to  Shehuot;  and,  since  this  period  has 
generally  six  Sabbaths,  and  there  are  only  five 
chapters  of  Abot,  the  chapter  Kinyan  Tor  ah  was 
appointed  to  be  read  on  the  sixth  Sabbath.  Later, 
the  period  of  the  year  in  which  Ahot  was  read  varied 
in  different  communities.  In  Germany,  there  were 
kehillot  in  which  it  was  recited  during  the  winter 
as  well  as  during  the  summer.  In  some  communities 
it  was  read  from  Passover  to  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles (Sukkot),  in  others  from  the  Sabbath  of 
Parashah  Yitro  (Ex.  XVIII,  1-XX,  26)  to  the  Sab- 
bath of  Parashah  Masse'e  (Num.  XXXIII,  1- 
XXXVI,  13),  that  is,  from  the  Sabbath  on  which 
is  read  an  account  of  the  giving  of  the  Law  until 
the  Sabbath  preceding  the  beginning  of  the  reading 
of  the  ''repetition  of  the  Law,"  i.e.,  Deuteronomy. 
In  many  orthodox  congregations  to-day  this  prac- 

(20)  German  and  Polish. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  21 

tice  is  still  adhered  to,  and  Ahot  is  read  on  Sabbath 
afternoons  during  the  summer,  or  from  the  Sabbath 
after  Passover  to  the  Sabbath  before  the  New  Year 
{Rosh  ha-Shanah). 

A  number  of  reasons  have  been  suggested  for  the 
custom  of  reading  the  Abot  in  the  synagogue,  the 
most  likely  being  that  it  was  introduced  to  occupy 
the  minds  of  the  worshippers  during  the  long  wait, 
on  a  summer's  day,  between  the  afternoon  and  even- 
ing services.  Whatever  the  reason  for  this  custom 
may  have  been  is  immaterial  and  unimportant; 
but  what  is  of  importance  is  that,  by  this  ex- 
cellent practice,  a  whole  body  of  moral  dicta — 
each  one  summing  up  with  remarkable  conciseness 
a  life^s^^xijerrence  and  philosophy,  each  one  breath- 
ing the  spirit  of  piety,  saintliness,  justice,  and  love 
for  humanity — has  sunk  deeply  into  the  innermost 
heart  and  consciousness  of  the  Jewish  people, 
exerting  such  an  influence  that  the  principles  set 
forth  in  the  Abot  have  been  eternally  wrought  into 
the  moral  fibre  of  the  descendants  of  the  Rabbis. 
To  the  lips  of  the  Jew,  these  maxims  spring  spon- 
taneously; to  those  who  know  them  they  are  a  safe 
and  secure  guide  through  life;  they  are  not  only 
heard  in  the  synagogue,  but  are  quoted  and  applied 
at  home  and  abroad.  Such  are  the  fruits  of  a 
benign  custom,  which  Israel  will  do  well  to  prize 
and  preserve. 

Bibliography 

Because  of  its  great  popularity,  the  Pirke  Abot 
has    appeared    in    many    editions.     There    is    no 


22  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

Gemara  (Talmudical  commentary)  on  the  Abot, 
which  undoubtedly  accounts  for  the  numerous 
commentaries  on  it  (21).  Because  of  the  attrac- 
tiveness of  its  contents,  and  since  it  forms  a  part  of 
the  ritual,  it  has  been  translated  many  times  into 
many  tongues  (22),  and  a  great  deal  has  been 
written  upon  it.     The  following  bibliography  will 

(21)  There  are  more  than  thirty-five.  The  best  knowTi  is 
that  of  Maimonides  (1135-1204),  which  was  written  orig- 
inally in  Arabic,  as  part  of  his  commentary  on  the  Mishnah. 
A  commentary  has  been  attributed  to  Rashi.  Other  com- 
mentaries are  by  (1)  Rabbi  Jacob  ben  Shimshon,  found  in 
the  Machzor  Vitry  (see  Taylor,  Introd.,  p.  5;  Appendix,  p.  23); 

(2)  Rabbi  Israel  of  Toledo,  in  Arabic  (tweKth  to  thirteenth 
century;    see  Taylor,  Introd.,  p.  5,  Appendix,  p.  46  et  seq.); 

(3)  Simon  Duran  (1361-1444),  Magen  Abot;  first  edition, 
Livorno,  1763;  ed.  Jellinek,  Leipzig,  1855;  (4)  Bertinora 
(died  1510),  in  his  popular  commentary  on  the  Mishnah; 
(5)  Isaac  ben  Judah  Abrabanel,  Nachalat  Abot;  ed.  Con- 
stantinople, 1505;  (6)  Samuel  de  Uceda,  Midrash  Shemuel; 
Venice,  1579,  1585,  1597,  1600,  Cracow,  1594,  Frankfurt 
a.  M.,  1713,  Warsaw,  1876;  (7)  Yom  Tob  Lippman  Heller 
(1579-1654),  in  Tosefot  Yom  Tob,  on  the  Mishnah;  (8)  Elijah, 
Gaon  of  Wihia  (1720-1797),  in  Siddur  Tefdlat  Yacob,  Berhn, 
1864;  and  (9)  S.  Baer,  in  Siddur  Abodat  Yisroel,  Rodelheim, 
1868.  There  is  also  a  commentary,  by  NaphtaU  Herts 
Wessely,  known  as  Yayin  Lebanon,  Berlin,  V77A^\115,  which 
has  been  translated  into  English,  in  the  Hebrew  Review 
(edited  by  Morris  J.  Raphall,  London,  1835-1837),  Vol.  I, 
p.  177,  p.  193,  and  further. 

(22)  Bischoff,  in  his  Kritische  Geschichte  der  Talmud- 
Uebersetzungen  aller  Zeiten  und  Zungen  (Frankfurt  a.  M., 
1899),  §  56,  has  a  list  of  62  translations  and  of  15  partial 
translations.  Others  have  appeared  since  this  list  was  made. 
For  English  translations,  consult  this  liat. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  23 

be  helpful  to  the  general  reader  and  to  the  student 
who  wish  to  get  a  more  detailed  and  intimate 
knowledge  of  Abot  than  can  be  imparted  in  this 
work. 

Editions  (23),  Commentaries,  and  Translations 

1.  Joshua  ben  Mordecai  Falk  ha-Kohen,  Abne  Ye- 

hoshua  at  Pirke  Abot  (New  York,  1860).  Text 
and  commentary  (24). 

2.  Abraham  Geiger,  Pirke  Aboth,  in  Nachgelassene 

Schriften  (Berlin,  1877),  vol.  IV,  pp.  281-344. 
A  commentary  on  Chaps.  I-III.  Scholarly 
and  valuable. 

3.  Solomon  Schechter,  Abot  de-Rabbi  Natan  (Vienna, 

1877).  Contains  two  versions,  A  and  B,  with 
an  introduction  and  notes  in  Hebrew.  A 
scholarly  and  valuable  work. 

4.  Joseph  Jabetz,  Pirk^  Abot,  with  a  commentary 

(Warsaw,  1880). 

5.  Charles  Taylor,  (1)  Sayings  of  the  Jewish  Fathers, 

Comprising  Pirqe  Aboth  and  Perek  R.  Meir 
in  Hebrew  an  I  English,  with  Notes  and  Ex- 
curses.     Second  edition  (Cambridge,  1897). 

(23)  A  list  of  editions,  mostly  earlier  than  those  mentioned 
here,  and  of  the  Ahot  in  Mishnah  editions  may  be  found  in 
Steinsehneider,  Catalogiis  Librorum  Hebraeorum  in  Bibliotheca 
Bodleiana  (Berlin,  1852-1860),  No.  1433-1519,  1982-2034; 
M.  Roest,  Catalog  der  Hebraica  und  Judaica  (Amsterdam, 
1875),  pp.  818-821,  824-828;  and  Strack,  Sprilche,  pp.  8-9. 

(24)  Falk  has  been  called  the  "  father  of  American  Hebrew- 
literature." 


24  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

(2)  An  Appendix  to  the  Sayi?igs  of  the 
Jewish  Fathers,  Containing  a  Catalogue  of 
Manuscripts  and  Notes  on  the  Text  of  Aboth 
(Cambridge,  1900).  These  works  are  very 
comprehensive  and  full  of  valuable  material. 

6.  A.    Berliner,    Commentar   zu   den   Spriichen   der 

Vdter,  aus  Machzor  Vitry,  mit  Beitrdgen 
(Frankfurt  a.  M.,  1897). 

7.  David  Hoffmann,  Masseket  Abot,  in  Mischnaiot 

Seder  Nesikin  (Berlin,  1899),  pp.  327-367. 
Fully  annotated,  with  a  translation  in  Ger- 
man, and  constant  reference  to  Rabbinical 
sources.     Excellent. 

8.  Hermann  L.  Strack,  Die  Spriiche  der  Vdter,  ein 

ethischer  Mischna-Traktat,  third  edition  (Leip- 
zig, 1901).  An  excellent  text  with  notes. 
Very  valuable. 

9.  Lazarus    Goldschmidt,    in    Tamud    Babli,    Der 

Babylonische  Talmud  (Berlin,  1903),  vol.  VII, 
p.  1151  et  seq.  Based  on  oldest  texts  of  Abot. 
Textual  variants  and  German  translation  with 
notes.     Very  valuable. 

10.  Simeon  Singer,  Pirke  Abot,  Ethics  of  the  Fathers, 

in  The  Authorized  Daily  Prayer  Book.  Eighth 
edition  (London,  5668-1908),  pp.  184-209. 
Hebrew  text,  with  an  excellent  English  trans- 
lation, and  a  few  notes. 

11.  Kaim  Pollak,  Rabbi  Nathans  System  der  Ethik 

und  Moral   (Budapest,    1905).     A  translation 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  25 

in  German,  with  notes,  of  Abot  de-Rabbi  Nalan 
(Schechter's  version  A). 

12.  Paul  Fiebig,  Pirque  'aboth,  Der  Mischnahtrak- 

tat  Spriiche  der  Vdter  (Tubingen,  1906).  Ger- 
man translation  and  notes,  with  especial  refer- 
ence to  the  New  Testament.  The  Nachwort, 
pp.  42-^3,  consists  of  a  comparison  of  Abot 
with  the  New  Testament,  pointing  out  the 
likenesses  and  differences. 

13.  Josef  ibn  Nachmia's,  Perush  Pirke  Abot,  Com- 

mentar  zu  den  Pirke  Abot  .  .  .  nach  der  Par- 
maer  Handschrift  De  Rossi  Nr.  1402  .  .  .  mit 
Anmerkungen  von  M.  L.  Bamberger  (Berlin, 
1907). 

14.  M.  Rawicz,  Der  Commentar  der  Maimonides  zu 

den  Spruchen  der  Vdter,  zum  ersten  Male  ins 
Deutsche  ilbertragen  (Offenburg  [Baden],  1910). 
Contains  "The  Eight  Chapters"  (25). 

15.  Sefer   Musar,   Kommentar  zum  Mischnatraktat 

Aboth  von  R.  Joseph  ben  Jehudah.  Zum  ersten 
Male  herausgegeben  von  Dr.  Wilhelm  Bacher. 
In  the  Schriften  des  Vereins  Mekize  Nirdamim. 
3.  Folge,  Nr.  6  (Berlin,  1910). 

16.  M.  Lehmann,  Pirke  Aboth,  Spriiche  der  Vdter 

iiberzetzt  und  erkldrt  (Frankfurt  a.  M.,  1909). 

(25)  The  Eight  Chapters  is  the  introduction  of  Maimonides 
to  his  commentary  on  Abot.  Its  Hebrew  name  is  Shemonah 
Perakim.  It  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  harmonious 
welding  of  the  ethical  principles  contained  in  Abot  with  medi- 
aeval Aristotelian  philosophy. 


26  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

17.  Jehudah  Leb  Gordon,  Pirke  Ahot,  in  Siddur  Bet 

Yehudah  (New  York,  5672,  1911-1912),  pp. 
106-165.  Prayer-book  according  to  the  Ash- 
kenazic  rite,  with  Yiddish  translation  and 
notes.  Contains  biographical  sketches  of  all 
the  authorities  mentioned  in  Abot. 

18.  Jules  Wolff,  Les  Huit  Chapitres  de  Maimonide, 

ou  Introduction  a  la  Mischna  d'Aboth,  Maximcs 
des  Peres  (de  la  Synagogue).  Traduits  de 
VArabe  (Lausanne,  Paris,  1912). 

19.  Joseph  I.  Gorfinkle,  The  Eight  Chapters  of  Mai- 

monides  on  Ethics,  Edited,  Annotated,  and 
Translated  with  an  Introduction  (New  York, 
1912).  Columbia  University  Oriental  Studies, 
vol.  VII  (26). 

Homiletical  Works 

1.  Lazarus  Adler,  Spriiche  der  Voter  (Fiirth,  1851). 

2.  W.  Aloys  Meisel,  Homilien  uber  die  Spriiche  der 

Vater  (1885). 

3.  Alexander  Kohut,  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers  (New 

York,  1885).  Translated  from  the  German 
by  Max  Cohen. 

General  Works 

Abelson,  J.,  The  Immanence  of  God  in  Rabbinical 
Literature  (London,  1912). 

(26)  A  list  of  MSS.,  editions,  translations,  and  commen- 
taries of  the  Eight  Chapters,  some  including  Abot,  is  found 
on  pp.  27-33  of  this  work. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  27 

Bacher,  Wilhelm,  (1)  Die  Agada  der  Tanaiten,  I,  II, 

(Strassburg,  1884,  1890). 

(2)  Zwei  alte  Abotkommentare,  in  Monat- 
schrift  fiir  Geschichte  und  Wiss.  d.  Judenthums, 
1095,  pp.  637-666;   1906,  pp.  248-249. 

Briill,  Enstehung  und  urspriinglicher  Inhalt  des  Trak- 
tates  Abot,  in  Jahrbiicher  filr  Jiid.  Geschichte 
und  Lit,  VII  (1885). 

Danziger,  Jewish  Forerunners  of  Christianity  (New 
York,  1903). 

Dukes,  Rabbinische  Blumenlese  (Leipzig,  1844),  pp. 
67-84. 

Friedlander,  M.,  The  Jewish  Religion  (London, 
1902). 

Friedlander,  G.,  The  Jewish  Sources  of  the  Sermon 

on  the  Mount  (London,  1911). 
Geiger,  Judaism  and  its  History  (New  York,  1911). 
Graetz,  History  of  the  Jews. 
Herford,  Pharisaism  (London,  1912). 
Hoffmann,  Die  erste  Mischna  und  die  Controversen 

der  Tannairn  (Berlin,  1882). 
Isaacs,  Stories  from  the  Rabbis  (New  York,  1893). 
Jewish  Encyclopedia. 
Josephus,  Antiquities. 

Jung,   Kritik  der  sdmtlichen  Bilcher  Aboth  in  der 

althebraischen  Literatur  (Leipzig,  1888). 
Lazarus,  The  Ethics  of  Judaism  (Philadelphia,  1900). 
Lpeb^  (l)  La  Chaine  de  la  Tradition  dans  le  premier 


28  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

Chapitre   des    Pirke    Abot,    in    Bibliotheque   de 

Vecole   des   hautes    Etudes,    Sciences   religeuses, 

vol.  I,  pp.  307-322  (Paris,  1889). 

(2)  Notes  sur  le  chapitre  7^''  des  Pirke  Abot, 

in  Revue  des  Etudes  Juives,  Vol.  XIX  (1889), 

pp.  188-201. 
Mielziner,   (1)   Introduction  to  the  Talmud,  second 

edition  (New  York,  1903). 

(2)  Articles  Abot  and  Abot  de-R.   Natan,  in 

Jewish  Encyclopedia. 
Myers,  The  Story  of  the  Jewish  People,  I  (New  York 

and  London,  1909). 
Schechter,  Some  Aspects  of  Rabbinic  Theology  (New 

York,  1909). 
Schiirer,  History  of  the  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of 

Jesus  Christ 127)    (New  York,   1891),   I,   i,   p. 

124;   I,  ii,  p.  353  et  seq.;  Ill,  ii,  p.  30  et  seq. 
Strack,  Einleitung  in  den   Talmud,   fourth  edition 

(Leipzig,  1908). 
Zimz,  (1)  Die  Gottesdienstlichen  Vortrdge  der  Juden 

(Berlin,  1832),  p.  101  et  seq. 

(2)  Die  Ritus  des  Synagogalen  Gottesdienstes 

(Berlin,  1859). 

(27)  Contains  very  full  bibliographies  and  has  other 
excellent  characteristics,  but  it  is  a  work  that  must  be  used 
with  caution.  Its  chief  fault,  according  to  Schechter,  is 
that  it  is  one  of  a  class  of  works  in  which  "no  attempt  is 
made  ...  to  gain  acquaintance  with  the  inner  life  of  the 
Jewish  nation"  {Studies,  II,  pp.  119-120). 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  FATHERS 

One  of  the  following  chapters  is  read  on  each  Sabbath  from  the 
Sabbath  after  Passouer  until  the  Sabbath  before  New  Year. 

All  Israel  (1)  have  a  portion  in  the  world  to  come, 
as  it  is  said,  "  And  thy  people  shall  be  all  righteous; 
they  shall  inherit  the  land  (2)  for  ever,  the  branch  of 
my  planting,  the  work  of  my  hands,  that  I  may  be 
Clorified"  (3). 

CHAPTER  I 

1.  Moses  received  the  Torah  (4)  from  Sinai  (5),  and 
handed  it  down  to  Joshua,  and  Joshua  to  the  elders 

(1)  This  does  not  mean  that  Israel  alone,  to  the  exclusion 
of  other  nations,  will  have  a  portion  in  the  future  world. 
On  the  future  world  (Nan  D?iy),  see  p.  44,  n.  21.  "The  pious 
of  all  nations  have  a  portion  in  the  world  to  come"  (Tosefta 
Sanhedrin,  chap.  XII;  Maimonides,  in  Mishneh  Torah,  1, 
Hilchot  Teshubah,  iii,  5)  sums  up  the  Rabbinic  opinion. 

(2)  I.e.,  the  land  of  everlasting  life. 

(3)  SanhedrvUfX.  (XI),  1;  Isaiah  Ix,  21.  This  passage  is 
recited  before  each  chapter. 

(4)  The  word  Torah  is  usually  translated  by  "law,"  but 
it  means  rather  "teaching,"  "instruction"  of  any  kind,  or 
"doctrine."  This  term  is  generally  used  to  designate  the 
Five  Books  of  Moses  or  the  Pentateuch,  called  the  "written 
law"  (3n33ti'  min),  but  it  is  also  employed  as  a  designation 
of  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament.     Besides  the  "written 

29 


30  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

(6),  and  the  elders  to  the  prophets,  and  the  proph- 
ets dehvered  it  to  the  men  of  the  Great  Synagogue 
(7).     They   said   three   things,    "Be    deliberate   in 

law,"  according  to  tradition,  there  was  also  communicated 
to  Moses,  on  Mt.  Sinai,  the  "oral  law"  (HS  pynK'  miD),  sup- 
plementing the  former  with  other  laws  and  maxims,  and 
explaining  it.  This  "oral  law"  was  handed  down  by  word  of 
mouth  from  generation  to  generation,  but  subsequently,  after 
the  destruction  of  the  second  Temple,  it  was  committed  to 
writing,  and  constitutes  the  Mishnah,  the  Talmud,  and  the 
Midrashim.  The  "oral  law"  develops,  illuminates,  and 
comments  upon  the  "written  law."  Here,  Torah  means 
the  "oral  law,"  which  Moses  communicated  to  Joshua, 
Joshua,  in  turn,  to  the  elders,  and  so  on.  See  Taylor,  Saij- 
ings  of  the  Jewish  Fathers,  p.  105  et  seq.,  and  134-135;  Fried- 
lander,  The  Jewish  Religion,  p.  136  et  seq.;  Jewish  Encyclo- 
pedia, arts.  Law  and  Oral  Laxv;  Schechter,  Some  Aspects  of 
Rabbinic  Theology,  Chapter  VIII;  Strack,  Einleitimg,  pp. 
9-10,  and  Herford,  Pharisaism,  chapter  on  "The  Theory  of 
Torah,"  p.  57  et  seq. 

(5)  I.e.,  from  God.  Compare  the  expression  riK'O?  HD^n 
^JDD,  "the  law  to  Moses  from  Sinai  (God),"  Peah,  II,  6, 
Eduyot,  VIII,  7,  etc. 

(6)  The  elders  were  the  wise  men  who  were  the  members 
of  the  supreme  national  tribunal.     See  Joshua  XXIV,  31. 

(7)  The  Great  Synagogue,  whose  establishment,  after  the 
return  from  Babylonian  captivity,  tradition  attributes  to 
Ezra  the  Scribe,  consisted  of  120  men,  who  comprised  the 
highest  judicial  tribunal,  and  who  occupied  a  position  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Temple  similar  to  that  of  the  later  San- 
hedrin.  The  historical  foundation  of  this  tradition  is  Ne- 
hemiah  VIII-X,  in  which  is  recounted  the  solemn  acceptance 
of  the  Law  by  a  great  assembly  of  the  people.  The  men  of 
the  Great  Synagogue  appear  here  in  Abot  as  the  depositaries 
of  the  tradition  of  the  Torah,  coming  in  the  chain  between 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  31 

judgment;  raise  up  many  disciples;  and  make  a 
fence  about  the  Torah"  (8). 

2.  Simon,  the  Just  (9),  was  of  the  last  survivors 

the  last  prophets  and  the  earliest  scribes.  From  this  chapter 
and  other  Rabbinical  sources,  we  gather  that  the  men  of  the 
Great  Synagogue  constituted  a  sort  of  college  of  teachers, 
one  of  the  last  survivors  being  Simon,  the  Just  (Chapter  I, 
2).  Their  work  was  to  interpret,  teach,  and  develop  the 
Torah,  and  to  them  were  ascribed  all  kinds  of  legal  enact- 
ments. They  instituted  the  Shemoneh  Esreh  (the  Eighteen 
Benedictions)  and  other  prayers,  and  cast  the  entire  ritual 
into  definite  shape.  They  admitted  Proverbs,  the  Song  of  Songs 
and  Ecclesiastes  into  the  Old  Testament  canon.  A  number  of 
modern  scholars,  notably  Kuenen,  are  of  the  opinion  that 
this  body  never  existed  in  the  form  represented  by  Jewish 
tradition  (see  Schlirer,  History,  I,  ii,  pp.  354-355).  On  the 
controversy  regarding  the  existence  of  the  Great  Synagogue 
see  Schechter,  Studies,  II,  105-106.  Consult  Taylor,  ibid., 
pp.  110-111;  Graetz,  History  of  the  Jews,  vol.  I,  p.  381, 
394,  vol.  II,  p.  19.  For  further  bibliography,  see  Strack, 
Spriiche,  p.  11.  See  especially  Herford,  Pharisaism,  pp. 
18-28. 

(8)  Take  measures  to  prevent  the  breaking  of  any  of  the 
divine  precepts.  Thereby,  certain  things  which  are  in  them- 
selves lawful  are  prohibited  in  order  to  enforce  the  observ- 
ance of  things  the  doing  of  which  is  unlawful.  Compare 
Leviticus  XVIII,  30,  "make  a  mishmeret  to  my  mishmeret" 
{Yebamot,  21a),  and  Abot,  III,  17,  "the  Massorah  is  a  fence 
to  the  Torah." 

(9)  Simon,  the  Just,  son  of  Onias,  was  high-priest  about 
300  B.c.E.  See  Josephus,  Antiquities,  XII,  ii,  5.  Consult 
Sammter,  Mischnaioth  Ordnung  Zeraim  (Berlin,  1887),  In- 
troduction, pp.  10-22;  Mielziner,  Introduction  to  the  Talmud, 
pp.  22-39;  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  and  Strack,  Einleitung, 
p.  82  et  seq.,  for  the  lives  of  the  authorities  mentioned  in 
Abot  and  for  bibliographies. 


32  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

of  the  Great  Synagogue.  He  used  to  say,  "Upon 
three  things  the  world  rests:  upon  the  Torah,  upon 
the  Temple  service  (10),  and  upon  the  doing  of 
acts  of  kindness"  (11). 

3.  Antigonus  of  Soko  (12)  received  (the  tradition) 
from  Simon,  the  Just.  He  used  to  say,  "Be  not 
like  hirelings  who  work  for  their  master  for  the  sake 
of  receiving  recompense;  but  be  like  servants  who 
minister  to   their  master  without   any  thought  of 

(10)  Cf.  Nedarim,  32b,  "Great  is  the  Torah,  for  if  it  did 
not  exist,  the  heaven  and  the  earth  would  have  no  perma- 
nence." Abodah  is  the  service  and  sacrifice  of  the  Temple 
which  was  then  standing.  After  the  destruction  of  the 
Temple,  this  word  was  used  to  designate  the  service  of  prayer. 
It  is  used  in  one  of  the  benedictions  after  the  reading  of  the 
Haftarah:  al  ha-torah  we-al  ha-abodah,  "for  the  law  and  for 
the  divine  service,"  see  Prayer-book,  ed.  Singer,  p.  149.  See 
Friedliinder,  ibid.,  p.  413  et  seq. 

(11)  Dnon  n)b'10i  "benevolence,"  "the  doing  of  kind- 
nesses," consists  of  ])ractical  deeds  of  personal  service,  as 
visiting  the  sick,  Ijurying  the  dead,  comforting  mourners, 
peacemaking,  etc.  It  is  greater  than  ilpDi  "charity"  in  its 
narrower  sense,  as  benevolence  may  be  shown  to  the  rich 
as  well  as  to  the  poor.  See  Friedlander,  ibid.,  pp.  301-305. 
On  this  verse,  see  Herford,  ibid.,  p.  22  et  seq. 

(12)  According  to  Abot  de-Rabbi  Natan,  Chapter  V,  ed. 
Schechter,  p.  26,  Antigonus  had  two  disciples,  Zadok  and 
Boethos,  from  whom  arose  the  Sadducees  and  the  heretical 
sect  of  Boethusians,  from  their  misinterpretation  of  this 
verse,  both  denying  the  doctrines  of  immortality  of  the  soul 
and  resurrection.  See  Kohut,  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  p. 
43;  Schiirer,  History,  II,  ii,  p.  29  et  seq.;  Geiger,  Judaism 
and  Its  History,  p.  99  ei  seq.;  and  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  arts. 
Boethusians  and  Sadducees. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  33 

receiving  a  reward;   and  let  the  fear  of  Heaven  (13) 
be  upon  you." 

4.  Jose,  the  son  of  Joezer,  of  Zeredah,  and  Jose, 
the  son  of  Jochanan  (14),  of  Jerusalem  received 
(the  tradition)  from  them  (15).  Jose,  the  son  of 
Joezer,  of  Zeredah  said,  "Let  thy  house  be  a  meet- 
ing-place for  the  wise;  cover  thyself  with  the  dust 
of  their  feet  (16),  and  drink  in  their  words  with 
thirst." 

5.  Jose,  the  son  of  Jochanan,  of  Jerusalem  said, 
"Let  thy  house  be  open  wide;  let  the  poor  be  mem- 
CIS)  "The  fear  of  Heaven"  does  not  mean  dread  of  pun- 
ishment, but  rather  awe  at  the  greatness  and  might  of  God, 
and  is  identical  with  love  and  service  (see  Deuteronomy, 
VI,  13  and  X,  12).  It  is  produced  by  following  out  the 
practices  ordained  in  the  Torah  (Maimonides,  Guide  for  the 
Perplexed,  ed.  Friedliinder,  p.  392).  Consult  Friedlander, 
Jewish  Religion,  pp.  273-274,  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art. 
Fear  of  God,  and  Schechter,  Aspects,  p.  72. 

(14)  In  Chagigah,  II,  2,  we  are  told  that  when  two  leading 
teachers  are  named  in  the  Mishnah  as  having  received  the 
Torah,  they  constitute  a  "pair"  (JIT),  the  first  being  the 
president  (K^K'J),  and  the  second  the  vice-president  (0^3  3K 
|n)  of  the  Sanhedrin.  There  were  five  pairs  of  such  teachers, 
flourishing  between  170  and  30  b.c.e.,  the  first  being  Jose  b. 
Joezer  and  Jose  b.  Jochanan,  and  the  last  being  Hillel  and 
Shammai.  See  Frankel,  Monatschrift,  1852,  pp.  405-421, 
Mielziner,  hitroduction,  pp.  22-23,  and  Strack,  Spriiche, 
p.  13. 

(15)  Some  texts  read  '-from  him"  (1JD0).  "From  them" 
must  refer  to  disciples  of  Antigonus  whose  sayings  have  been 
lost. 

(16)  It  was  the  custom  of  pupils  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  their 
teachers. 


34  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

bers  of  thy  household,  and  engage  not  in  much 
gossip  with  woman,"  This  apphes  to  one's  own 
wife;  how  much  more  (17),  then,  to  the  wife  of 
one's  neighbor  ?  Hence  the  sages  say,  "Whoso 
engages  in  much  gossip  with  woman  brings  evil 
upon  himself,  neglects  the  study  of  the  Torah,  and 
will  in  the  end  inherit  Gekinnom"  (18). 

6.  Joshua,  the  son  of  Perachyah,  and  Nittai,  the 
Arbelite,  received  (the  tradition)  from  them, 
Joshua,  the  son  of  Perachyah,  said,  "Provide  thy- 
self with  a  teacher,  and  possess  thyself  of  a  com- 
panion (19);  and  judge  every  man  in  the  scale  of 
merit." 

7.  Nittai,  the  Arbelite,  said,  "Keep  aloof  from  a 
bad  neighbor  (20);  associate  not  with  the  wicked, 
and  abandon  not  the  belief  in  retribution"  (21). 

8.  Judah,  the  son  of  Tabbai,  and  Simeon,  the  son 

(17)  On  the  fcaiti^a-c/iomer,"  a  conclusion  a  minori  ad  niajus," 
see  Mielziner,  Introduction  to  the  Talmud,  p.  130  et  seq.,  and 
Strack,  Einleitung  in  den  Talmud,  p.  120.  Cf.  chapter  VI,  3. 
The  equivalent  biblical  exjiression  is  ^3  P)N- 

(18)  D'Jirp  ""J,  D^Jn"'J,  a  glen  south  of  Jerusalem  where 
Moloch  was  worshipped,  whence  a  place  where  the  wicked 
were  punished  in  the  hereafter;  "hell,  being  the  opposite  of 
'the  Garden  of  Eden,'  "  "paradise."  Cf.  chapter  V,  22  and 
23.     See  Friedlander,  Jewish  Religion,  p.  223. 

(19)  A  fellow-student. 

(20)  Cf.  chapter  II,  14. 

(21)  This  may  mean  either  that  one  must  not  imagine 
that  punishment  for  evil  deeds  will  not  befall  him,  or  when 
punishment  has  been  meted  out,  one  must  not  despair  of 
the  good. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  35 

of  Shatach  (22),  received  (the  tradition)  from  them. 
Judah,  the  son  of  Tabbai,  said,  "(In  the  judge's 
office)  act  not  the  counsel's  part  (23) ;  while  the 
litigants  are  standing  before  thee,  let  them  be  re- 
garded by  thee  as  guilty,  but  when  they  are  de- 
parted from  thy  presence,  regard  them  as  innocent, 
the  verdict  having  been  acquiesced  in  by  them." 

9.  Simeon,  the  son  of  Shatach,  said,  "Be  very 
searching  in  the  examination  of  witnesses  (24),  and 
be  guarded  in  thy  v/ords,  lest  through  them  they 
learn  to  lie." 

10.  Shemaiah  and  Abtalion  (25)  received  (the 
tradition)  from  them.  Shemaiah  said,  "Love  work; 
hate  lordship  (26) ;  and  seek  no  intimacy  with  the 
ruling  power"  (27). 

11.  Abtalion  said,  "Ye  sages,  be  heedful  of  your 
words,  lest  ye  incur  the  penalty  of  exile  and  be 
exiled  to  a  place  of  evil  waters,  and  the  disciples 
who  come  after  you  drink  thereof  and  die,  and  the 
Heavenly  Name  be  profaned"  (28). 

(22)  Lived  about  104-69  b.c.e.  He  was  a  leader  of  the 
Pharisees  at  the  time  of  Alexander  Jannaeus. 

(23)  A  judge  should  be  strictly  impartial. 

(24)  It  is  related  that  the  son  of  Simeon  b.  Shatach  was 
innocently  condemned  to  death,  because  the  witnesses  were 
not  carefully  cross-questioned. 

(25)  Lived  about  the  middle  of  the  first  century  b.c.e. 

(26)  "Woe  to  leadership,  for  it  buries  those  who  possess 
it."     (Pesachim,  87b.) 

(27)  That  is,  Rome.     Avoid  office  seeking. 

(28)  Scholars  must  be  careful  in  their  teaching,  lest  their 
disciples  misinterpret  their  words,  and  thus  adopt  false  doc- 


36  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

12.  Hillel  and  Shammai  (29)  received  (the  tradi- 
tion) from  them.  Hillel  said,  "Be  of  the  disciples  of 
Aaron,  loving  peace  and  pursuing  peace  (30),  lov- 
ing mankind  and  drawing  them  nigh  to  the  Torah" 
(31).  13.  He  used  to  say,  *' A  name  made  great  is  a 
name  destroyed  (32);  he  who  does  not  increase 
(his  knowledge)  decreases  (it);  and  he  who  does 
not  study  deserves  to  die;  and  he  who  makes  a 
worldly  use  of  the  crown  (of  the  Torah)  shall  waste 
away."  14.  He  used  to  say,  "  If  I  am  not  for  myself, 
who  will  be  for  me?  But  if  I  care  for  myself  only, 
what  am  I?  (33).    And  if  not  now,  when?" 

trines,  as  was  the  case  with  the  dis;'i{)les  of  Anti'j;onu3  of  Soke 
{supra,  n.  12).  "Evil  v. ater.s"  may  stand  fur  evil  doctrines 
or  evil  people.  \Micn  a  teacher  went  into  banishment,  he 
was  usually  followed  by  his  disciples.  Departure  from  the 
law  is  equivalent  to  death. 

(29)  Hillel  and  Sliaininai,  the  most  renowned  of  the  "pairs" 
(niJIT),  lived  about  100  years  before  tlie  destruction  of  the 
Temple.  Each  was  the  founder  of  a  school,  Bel  Hillel  and 
Bet  Shammai,  beinp;  generally  opposed  to  one  another  in  the 
interpretation  of  the  Torah.  Hillel  was  the  embodiment  of 
humility,  gentleness,  and  kindness;  Shammai  was  irritable, 
and  lacked  gentleness  and  patience.  The  former's  most 
celebrated  saying  is,  "What  is  hateful  to  thee  do  not  unto 
thy  fellow  man;  this  is  the  whole  Tnrah,  the  rest  is  mere 
commentary."  See  Bacher,  Agada  der  Tanailen',  Schiirer, 
History,  1,  "\,  p.  359  et  seq.;  Myers,  Story  of  the  Jewish  People, 
I,  p.  136  et  scq.;  Geiger,  Judaism  and  its  History,  p.  113  et  seq. 

(30)  Psalm  XXIV,  15:    "Seek  peace  and  pursue  it." 

(31)  Draw  men  to  the  Torah  by  good  example,  not  by 
endeavoring  to  make  converts. 

(32)  He  who  seeks  a  name  loses  fame. 

(33)  Be  self-reliant,  but  n^-t.  selfish. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  37 

15.  Shammai  said,  "Set  a  fixed  time  for  thy 
(study  of)  Torah;  say  little  and  do  much  (34); 
and  receive  all  men  with  a  cheerful  countenance." 

16.  Rabban  (35)  Gamaliel  said,  "Provide  thy- 
self with  a  teacher;  be  quit  of  doubt  (36);  and 
accustom  not  thyself  to  give  tithes  (37)  by  a  con- 
jectural estimate." 

17.  Simeon  (38),  his  son,  said,  "All  my  days  I 
have  grown  up  amongst  the  wise,  and  I  have  found 
nothing  better  for  man  than  silence  (39) ;  not  learn- 
ing but  doing  is  the  chief  thing  (40);  and  whoso 
multiplies  words  causes  sin"  (41). 

(34)  Or  "promise  little."  Be  like  Abraham,  who  prom- 
ised only  bread,  but  brought  "a  calf  tender  and  good" 
(Genesis  XVIII,  5  and  7). 

(35)  "Our  teacher,"  "our  master,"  a  title  given  only  to 
the  presidents  of  the  Sanhedrin,  Gamaliel  being  the  first  to 
be  thus  known.  GamaUel  was  a  grandson  of  Hillel  and  a 
teacher  of  Paul.     See  Strack,  Einleitung,  p.  85. 

(36)  Establish  over  you  the  authority  of  a  teacher,  to  hold 
you  from  the  clutch  of  doubt  (Kohut). 

(37)  There  were  three  kinds  of  tithes  (the  tenth  part  of 
anything):  (a)  "the  first  tithe"  (maaser  rishon),  given  to 
the  Levites;  (b)  "the  second  tithe"  {maaser  sheni),  taken 
to  Jerusalem  and  consumed  there  by  the  owner  and  his  fam- 
ily; and  (c)  the  tithe  paid  to  the  poor  {maaser  ani).  See 
Leviticus  XXVII,  30  et  seq.,  Numbers  XVIII,  21-24,  and 
Deuteronomy  XIV,  22-29;  also  Tractates  Maasrot  and  Maaser 
Sheni  of  the  Mishnah.     Consult  Babbs,  The  Law  of  Tithes. 

(38)  Simeon  ben  Gamaliel  I  lived  at  the  time  of  the  war 
with  Rome.     See  Josephus,  Jewish  Wars,  IV,  3,  9. 

(39)  Cf.  chapter  III,  17. 

(40)  Where  words  fail,  deeds  tell. .  Non  scholae  sed  vitae. 

(41)  Cf.  Proverbs  X,  19. 


38  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

18.  Rabban  Simeon,  the  son  of  Gamaliel  (42), 
said,  "By  three  things  is  the  world  preserved  (43); 
by  truth,  by  judgment,  and  by  peace,  as  it  is  said, 
'Judge  ye  the  truth  and  the  judgment  of  peace  in 
your  gates '  ' '  (44) . 

Rabbi  Chanania  (45),  the  son  of  Akashia,  said, 
"  The  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He,  was  pleased  to  make 
Israel  worthy;  wherefore  He  gave  them  a  copious 
Torah  and  many  commandments,  as  it  is  said,  '  It 
pleased  the  Lord,  for  his  righteousness'  sake,  to 
magnify  the  Torah  and  make  it  honorable' "  (46). 

(42)  Rabban  Simeon  II,  son  of  Gamaliel  II  (80-115'C.e.) 
and  grandson  of  Simeon  (verse  17). 

(43)  Cf.  chapter  I,  2.  Torah,  Temple  service,  and  benevo- 
lence are  the  foundations  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  aims 
of  the  world.  Truth,  judgment,  and  peace  maintain  the 
world's  permanency. 

(44)  Zechariah  VIII,  16. 

(45)  This  saying  did  not  belong  originally  to  Abot,  but 
was  taken  from  Makkot,  III,  16.  According  to  Goldschmidt, 
it  was  introduced  into  the  Mishnah  from  the  separate  editions, 
and  then  found  its  way  into  the  Talmudical  texts  of  Abot, 
This  verse  is  recited  at  the  end  of  each  chapter.  See  Rawicz, 
Commentar  des  Maimonides,  p.  114,  n.  1. 

(46)  Isaiah,  xlii,  21. 


CHAPTER  II 

"All  Israel,"  etc.,  p.  29. 

1.  Rabbi  (1)  said,  "Which  is  the  right  course 
that  a  man  should  choose  for  himself  ?  (2)  That 
which  is  a  pride  to  him  who  pursues  it  and  which  also 
brings  him  honor  from  mankind.  Be  as  scrupulous 
about  a  light  precept  as  about  a  grave  one,  for  thou 
knowest  not  the  grant  of  reward  for  each  precept. 
Reckon  the  loss  incurred  by  the  fulfilment  of  a 
precept  against  the  reward  secured  by  its  observ- 
ance (3),   and  the  gain  gotten  by  a  transgression 

(1)  Rabbi  Judah  (135-220  c.e.),  son  of  Simeon  (chapter 
I,  18),  was  known  as  "Rabbi,"  as  a  mark  of  distinction, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  he  was  the  chief  reviser  and  compiler 
of  the  Mishnah.  Earlier  compilers  of  the  Mishnah  had  been 
Hillel,  Akiba,  and  R.  Meir.  Rabbi  Judah  was  also  known 
as  Rabbenu  (our  Master),  ha-Nasi  (the  Prince),  and  ha- 
Kodesh  (the  Holy).  He  is  said  to  have  died  on  the  day  that 
Akiba  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Romans.  See  Dan- 
ziger,  Jewish  Forerunners  of  Christianity,  pp.  242-274,  Myers, 
Story  of  the  Jewish  People,  I,  210-222,  and  Strack,  Einlei- 
tung  in  den  Talmud,  p.  96. 

(2)  Maimonides  interprets  this  verse  as  meaning  to  pur- 
sue a  medium  course  between  two  equally  bad  extremes,  the 
too  much  and  the  too  little.  On  this  subject,  see  his  celebrated 
fourth  chapter  of  the  Shemonah  Perakim  {The  Eight  Chapters) 
on  the  "mean";  ed.  Gorfinkle,  p.  54,  et  seq. 

(3)  I.e.,  the  loss  in  this  world  as  against  the  reward  in  the 

39 


40  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

against  the  loss  it  involves.  Consider  three  things, 
that  thou  mayest  not  come  within  the  power  of 
sin  (4).  Know  what  is  above  thee — a  seeing  eye, 
and  a  hearing  ear,  and  all  thy  deeds  written  in  a 
book"  (5). 

2,  Rabban  Gamaliel,  the  son  of  Rabbi  Judah, 
the  Prince,  said,  "Excellent  is  the  study  of  Tor  ah 
combined  with  some  worldly  pursuit  (6),  for  the 
effort  demanded  by  them  both  makes  sin  to  be  for- 
gotten.    All  study  of  Torah  without  work  must  at 


future  world.  On  the  Rabbinic  idea  of  reward  and  punish- 
ment, see  Schechter,  Aspects,  pp.  162-163,  and  Herford, 
Pharisaism,  p.  267  el  seq. 

(4)  Cf.  chapter  III,  1.  No  deeds,  great  or  small,  are  lost 
sight  of  by  God. 

(5)  On  the  divine  books  or  book,  see  Exodus  XXXII,  35. 
Malachi  III,  16,  and  Daniel  VII,  10,  etc.  The  heavenly 
"Book  of  Life"  is  prominently  mentioned  in  the  ritual  of 
the  New  Year  and  the  Day  of  Atonement,  especially  in  the 
celebrated  prayer,  U-netanneh  Tokef  of  Rabbi  Amnon  of 
Mayence.  The  New  Year's  greeting,  "May  you  be  inscribed 
for  a  happy  year!"  is  evidence  of  the  popularity  of  the  idea 
of  a  divine  book  in  which  the  fate  of  man  is  written.  See 
the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Book  of  Life. 

(6)  The  expression  Talmud  Torah  (lit.,  "study  of  the 
Law")  means  the  study  of  all  sacred  learning.  The  word 
Torah,  here,  is  to  be  construed  in  its  broadest  sense.  See 
chapter  I,  n.  4.  Such  study  was  one  of  the  duties  to  which 
no  limit  was  fixed  (Peah  I,  1).  The  ex-pression  |*^N  "I"!! 
means  "good  manners"  (chapter  III,  21),  or  "worldly  busi- 
ness," or  "care"  (chapter  III,  6),  according  to  the  context. 
Study  combined  with  some  trade  or  profession  is,  according 
to  R.  Gamaliel,  the  proper  thing.     See  chapter  IV,  n.  24. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  41 

length  be  futile,  and  leads  to  sin  (7).  Let  all  who 
are  employed  with  the  congregation  act  with  them 
for  Heaven's  sake,  for  then  the  merit  of  their  fathers 
sustains  them,  and  their  righteousness  endures  for 
ever  (8).  And  as  for  you  (God  will  then  say),  'I 
account  you  worthy  of  great  reward,  as  if  you  had 
wrought  it  all  yourselves.'  3.  Be  on  your  guard 
against  the  ruling  power  (9) ;  for  they  who  exercise 
it  draw  no  man  near  to  them  except  for  their  own 
interests;  appearing  as  friends  when  it  is  to  their 
own  advantage,  they  stand  not  by  a  man  in  the 
hour  of  his  need."  4.  He  used  to  say,  ''Do  His  will 
as  if  it  were  thy  will,  that  He  may  do  thy  will  as  if 
it  were  His  will.  Nullify  thy  will  before  His  will, 
that  Hemay  nullify  the  will  of  others  before  thy  will." 
5.  Hillel  (10)  said,  "Separate  not  thyself  from 
the  congregation  (11);     trust  not  in  thyself  until 

(7)  Cf.  Kiddushin,  29a,  "He  who  does  not  teach  his  son 
a  trade  teaches  him  to  be  a  thief." 

(8)  In  every  community,  the  work  and  goodness  of  past 
generations  Hve  in  the  present,  and  the  good  that  the  com- 
munity does  in  the  present  will  live  on  in  the  future.  On 
the  "merit  of  the  fathers"  (ni2N  0131),  see  Schechter,  So7ne 
Aspects  of  Rabbinic  Theology,  chapter  XII,  especially  pp. 
175-177,  where  this  passage  is  quoted. 

(9)  This  verse  is  directed  toward  the  leaders  of  the  com- 
munity.    Cf.  above,  chapter  I,  10. 

(10)  The  chain  of  traditional  sayings  is  continued  here 
from  chapter  I,  14,  with  other  maxima  of  Hillel.  See  Intro- 
duction, p.  17. 

(11)  I.e.,  share  its  weal  and  woe.  Cf.  Taanit,  11a,  "He 
who  does  not  join  the  community  in  times  of  danger  and 
trouble  will  never  enjoy  the  divine  blessing." 


42  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

the  day  of  thy  death  (12);  judge  not  thy  neighbor 
until  thou  art  come  into  his  place;  and  say  not 
anjrthing  which  cannot  be  understood  at  once,  in 
the  hope  that  it  will  be  understood  in  the  end  (13) ; 
neither  say,  'When  I  have  leisure  I  will  study'; 
perchance  thou  wilt  have  no  leisure."  6.  He  used 
to  say,  "An  empty-headed  man  cannot  be  a  sin- 
fearing  man,  nor  can  an  ignorant  person  (14)   be 


(12)  One  should  constantly  be  on  guard  against  oneself. 
The  Talmud  {Berachot,  29a)  illustrates  this  saying  by  re- 
ferring to  a  certain  Jochanan,  who,  after  having  been  high- 
priest  for  eighty  years,  became  a  heretic. 

(13)  This  verse  may  be  variously  translated  and  inter- 
preted. Its  translation  here  is  in  accordance  with  the  in- 
terpretation of  Maimonides.  Do  not  express  yourself  in 
such  a  way  that  your  words  may  be  understood  only  after 
careful  study  and  deep  thought,  but  let  them  be  clear  and 
intelligible. 

(14)  The  word  113  means  " uncultivated "  ("lin  ni^  "an  un- 
cultivated field").  It  is  used  of  an  ignorant,  uncultured,  man- 
nerless person,  possessing  no  moral  or  spiritual  virtues.  Tay- 
lor translates  it  by  "  boor."  yiiiil  Dy,  hterally  "  people  of  the 
land,"  "country  people,"  is  applied  to  an  individual  who 
may  possess  good  manners,  and  may  be  htcrate,  but  who  has 
no  religious  knowledge,  nor  training,  nor  does  not  observe 
religious  customs.  Taylor  renders  it  "vulgar."  Mayer 
Sulzberger  maintains  that  this  term  was  applied  to  an  assem- 
bly of  representatives  of  the  people  constituting  a  body 
similar  to  the  modem  Parliament,  and  divided  into  a  lower 
and  upper  house.  See  his  "The  Am  Ha-arelz,  The  Ancienl 
Hebrew  Parliament."  On  the  Am  ha-areiz  and  his  opposite 
the  chaber,  see  Schiirer,  History,  II,  ii,  pp.  8,  9  and  pp.  22  et 
seq.,  also  Herford,  ibid.,  pp.  46-47. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  43 

pious,  nor  can  a  shamefaced  man  (15)  learn,  nor  a 
passionate  man  (16)  teach,  nor  can  one  who  is 
engaged  overmuch  in  business  grow  wise  (17).  In 
a  place  where  there  are  no  men,  strive  to  be  a  man" 
(18).  7.  Moreover,  he  once  saw  a  skull  floating 
on  the  surface  of  the  water.  He  said  to  it,  "Be- 
cause thou  didst  drown  (others)  they  have  drowned 
thee,  and  at  the  last  they  that  drowned  thee  shall 
themselves  be  drowned"  (19).  8.  He  used  to  say, 
"The  more  flesh,  the  more  worms;  the  more  prop- 
erty, the  more  anxiety;  the  more  women,  the  more 
witchcraft;  the  more  maid-servants,  the  more 
lewdness;  the  more  men-servants,  the  more  rob- 
bery; the  more  Tor  ah,  the  more  life  (20);  the  more 
schooling,  the  more  wisdom;  the  more  counsel, 
the  more  understanding;  the  more  charity,  the 
more  peace.  He  who  has  acquired  a  good  name 
has  acquired  it  for  himself;    he  who  has  acquired 

(15)  I.e.,  he  who  is  ashamed  to  ask  questions  for  fear  of 
exposing  his  ignorance. 

(16)  He  who  has  no  patience  to  answer  all  the  questions 
of  his  pupils. 

(17)  Cf.  chapter  IV,  12.  One  of  the  quaUfications  neces- 
sary for  the  acquirement  of  the  Torah  is  moderation  in  busi- 
ness. 

(18)  Do  not  boldly  push  j^ourself  forward;  but  where 
there  is  no  one  to  fill  the  position  of  teacher  or  leader,  or  to 
be  the  head  of  the  community,  and  you  have  the  qualifica- 
tions, do  not  shrink  from  being  the  man. 

(19)  Retribution  is  sure.  Cf.  Sanhedrin,  100a  and  Sotah, 
9b,  "With  what  measure  a  man  measures,  is  it  measured 
unto  him." 

(20)  Cf.  Prov.  Ill,  1  and  2. 


44  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

for  himself  words  of  Torah  has  acquired  for  him- 
self life  in  the  world  to  come"  (21). 

9.  Rabban  Jochanan,  the  son  of  Zakkai  (22), 
received  (the  tradition)  from  Hillel  and  Shammai. 
He  used  to  say,  ''If  thou  hast  learnt  much  Torah, 
ascribe  not  any  merit  to  thyself,  for  thereunto  wast 
thou  created." 

10.  Rabban  Jochanan,  the  son  of  Zakkai,  had 
five  disciples  (23),  and  these  are  they:  Rabbi  Elie- 
zer,  the  son  of  Hyrcanus;  Rabbi  Joshua,  the  son  of 

(21)  The  expression  "the  world  to  come"  may  mean  the 
Messianic  days,  the  time  after  the  Messianic  era,  the  days 
after  the  resurrection,  or  the  spiritual  hereafter.  Maimonides 
discusses  at  length  the  various  theories,  in  Perek  Chelek  (Com- 
mentary on  Sanhedrin,  X,  1),  which  has  been  translated  into 
EngUsh  by  J.  Abelson,  in  the  Jewish  Quarterly  Review  (Lon- 
don), vol.  XXIX,  p.  28  et  seq.  See  also  The  Hebrew  Review 
(London,  1840),  p.  254  et  seq.  Consult  Schtirer,  History, 
II,  ii,  92. 

(22)  Rabban  Jochanan  ben  Zakkai  was  known  as  the  least 
of  the  disciples  of  Hillel.  He  was  a  contemporary  of  the 
historian  Josephus.  Escaping  in  a  coffin  from  Jerusalem, 
when  it  was  besieged  by  the  Roman  general  Vespasian,  and 
predicting  the  latter's  elevation  to  the  imperial  dignity, 
Jochanan  was  allowed  by  Vespasian  to  go  to  Jabneh  (Jamnia), 
where  he  founded  the  celebrated  academy  which  became  the 
centre  of  learning  in  Palestine,  as  Jerusalem  had  previously 
been.  He  was  the  most  important  scribe  in  the  first  decade 
after  the  destru(;tion  of  the  Temple  (70  c.e.).  See  Strack, 
Einleitung  in  den  Talmud,  p.  86  el  seq.,  Bacher,  Agada  dcr 
Tanaiten,  pp.  25-46,  Myers,  Story  of  the  Jewish  People,  I,  pp. 
151-160,  and  Danziger,  Jewish  Forerunners  of  Christianity, 
pp.  55-72. 

(23)  Of  special  excellence. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  45 

Han'aniah  (24);  Rabbi  Jose,  the  Priest;  Kabbi 
Simeon,  the  son  of  Nataniel;  and  Rabbi  Eleazar, 
the  son  of  Arach,  11.  He  used  thus  to  recount 
their  praise:  "Eliezer,  the  son  of  Hyrcanus,  is  a 
cemented  cistern,  which  loses  not  a  drop  (25); 
Joshua,  the  son  of  Hananiah,  happy  is  she  that  bare 
him  (26) ;  Jose,  the  Priest,  is  a  pious  man  (27) ; 
Simeon,  the  son  of  Nataniel,  is  a  fearer  of  sin; 
Eleazar,  the  son  of  Arach,  is  like  a  spring  flowing 
with  ever-sustained  vigor"  (28).  12.  He  used  to 
say,  "If  all  the  sages  of  Israel  were  in  one  scale  of 
the  balance,  and  Eliezer,  the  son  of  Hyrcanus,  in  the 
other,  he  would  outweigh  them  all."  Abba  Saul 
(29)  said  in  his  name,  "If  all  the  sages  of  Israel 
were  in  one  scale  of  the  balance,  and  Eliezer,  the 
son  of  Hyrcanus,  also  with  them,  and  Eleazar,  the 
son  of  Arach,  in  the  other  scale,  he  would  outweigh 
them  all."    13.  He  said  to  them,  "Go  forth  and  see 

(24)  On  the  life  of  R.  Joshua  (40-130  c.e.),  sec  Bacher, 
ibid.,  129-194,  Myers,  ibid.,  161-170,  Danziger,  ibid.,  122-151. 

(25)  He  forgets  nothing  he  has  learned.  On  R.  Eliezer, 
see  Danziger,  ibid.,  91-121. 

(26)  When  yet  a  child  in  the  cradle,  his  mother  took  him 
into  the  synagogue  that  he  might  thus  early  hear  the  words 
of  the  Torah. 

(27)  A  chasid  (TDH),  "saint,"  is  one  who  does  more  than 
the  strict  letter  of  the  law  requires.  See  Schechter,  Studies, 
II,  jjp.  148-181,  idem,  Aspects,  p.  209,  Rawicz,  Comvientar 
des  Maimonides,  pp.  95-96,  and  Gorfinkle,  The  Eight  Chapters, 
pp.  60-62. 

(28)  "A  welHng  spring"  (Taylor). 

(29)  He  lived  in  the  first  half  of  the  second  century,  c.e. 


46  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

which  is  the  good  way  to  which  a  man  should 
cleave."  R.  Eliezer  said,  "A  good  eye"  (30); 
R.  Joshua  said,  "A  good  friend";  R.  Jose  said, 
"A  good  neighbor"  (31);  R.  Simeon  said,  "One 
who  foresees  the  fruit  of  an  action"  (32);  R.  Elea- 
zar  said,  "A  good  heart."  Thereupon  he  said  to 
them,  "I  approve  of  the  words  of  Eleazar,  the  son 
of  Arach,  rather  than  your  words,  for  in  his  words 
yours  are  included"  (33).  14.  He  said  to  them, 
"  Go  forth  and  see  which  is  the  evil  way  that  a  man 
should  shun."  R.  Eliezer  said,  "An  evil  eye" 
(34);  R,  Joshua  said,  "A  bad  friend";  R.  Jose 
said,  "  A  bad  neighbor  " ;  R.  Simeon  said,  "  One  who 
borrows  and  does  not  repay — it  is  the  same  whether 
one  borrows  from  man  or  from  the  Omnipresent 
(35);    as  it  is  said,   'The  wicked  borroweth,  and 

(30)  I.e.,  an  eye  that  looks  upon  people  with  benevolence 
and  kind  feelings,  free  from  envy  and  ill-will. 

(31)  A  good  friend  is  one  who  induces  his  associate  to 
study  Torah,  and  who  reproves  him  when  he  sees  him  doing 
wrong.  The  passage  means  not  so  much  to  gain  a  good 
friend  as  to  be  a  good  friend. 

(32)  One  who  balances  the  present  against  the  future. 

(33)  The  heart  was  considered  the  seat  of  all  moral  and 
spiritual  functions.     See  Schechter,  Aspects,  p.  255  et  seq. 

(34)  Denotes  niggardliness,  envy,  or  jealousy. 

(35)  I.e.,  one  who  lacks  foresight  and  incurs  responsibili- 
ties he  is  unable  to  meet  borrows  from  God,  as  all  wealth 
belongs  to  Him,  and  men  are  merely  His  stewards.  The 
word  DIpD,  literally  "place,"  "space,"  was  used  to  designate 
Jerusalem,  or  the  Temple,  as  being  the  place  where  God's 
spirit  dwells;  or  it  may  also  refer  to  the  divine  court  of  the 
Sanhedrin.     It  then  came  to  be  used  as  an  appellative  for 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  47 

payeth  not  again,  but  the  righteous  dealeth  gra- 
ciously and  giveth'  "  (36);  R,  Eleazar  said,  "A 
bad  heart."  Thereupon  he  said  to  them,  "I  ap- 
prove of  the  words  of  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Arach, 
rather  than  your  words,  for  in  his  words  yours  are 
included." 

15.  They  each  said  three  things.  R.  Eliezer 
said,  "Let  thy  friend's  honor  be  as  dear  to  thee  as 
thine  own  (37);  be  not  easily  excited  to  anger; 
and  repent  one  day  before  thy  death"  (38).  And 
(he  further  said),  "Warm  thyself  by  the  fire  of  the 
wise;  but  beware  of  their  glowing  coals,  lest  thou 
be  burnt,  for  their  bite  is  the  bite  of  the  fox,  and 
their  sting  is  the  scorpion's  sting,  and  their  hiss  is 
the  serpent's  hiss,  and  all  their  words  are  like  coals 
of  fire"  (39).     16.  R.  Joshua  said,  "The  evil  eye, 

God.  As  Schechter  remarks,  "The  term  is  mainly  indica- 
tive of  God's  ubiquity  in  the  world  and  can  best  be  trans- 
lated by  'Omnipresent.'  "  See  Hoffmann,  Sanhedrin  VI,  note 
56,  Taylor,  Sayings,  p.  53,  note  42,  and  Schechter,  Aspects, 
pp.  26-27,  where  the  literature  on  this  subject  is  given.  See 
also  Friedliinder,  The  Jewish  Religion,  p.  287,  and  the  Jewish 
Encyclopedia,  art.  Names  of  God. 

(36)  Psahn  XXXVII,  21. 

(37)  Of.  chapter  IV,  15. 

(38)  Man  should  repent  every  day  of  his  life,  for  he  knows 
not  on  what  day  he  may  die  {Shabbat,  153a). 

(39)  One  who  wishes  to  warm  himseK  remains  a  certain 
distance  away  from  the  fire;  if  he  approaches  too  near,  he 
is  burned;  so,  do  not  endeavor  to  become  too  intimate  with 
the  wise,  as  their  opinion  of  you  may  change  to  your  detri- 
ment. The  "bite,"  the  "sting,"  and  the  "hiss"  represent  the 
terribleness  of  the  looks  of  the  wise  who  have  been  angered. 


48  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

the  evil  inclination  (40),  and  hatred  of  his  fellow- 
creatures  (41),  put  a  man  out  of  the  world."  17.  R. 
Jose  said,  "Let  the  property  of  thy  friend  be  as 
dear  to  thee  as  thine  own;  prepare  thyself  for  the 
study  of  Tor  ah,  since  the  knowledge  of  it  is  not  an 
inheritance  of  thine,  and  let  all  thy  deeds  be  done 
in  the  name  of  God"  (42).  18.  R.  Simeon  said, 
"Be  careful  in  reading  the  Shema  (43)  and  the 
Amidah  (44);   and  when  thou  pray  est,  consider  not 

(40)  Passion,  evil  nature,  or  evil  imagination. 

(41)  Misanthropy. 

(42)  In  making  man's  highest  ideal  the  comprehension  of 
God,  Maimonides,  in  the  Shemonah  Perakim,  supports  his 
view  by  referring  to  the  latter  part  of  this  verse.  He  says, 
"The  sages  of  blessed  memory,  too,  have  summed  up  this 
idea  in  so  few  words  and  so  concisely,  at  the  same  time  eluci- 
dating the  whole  matter  with  such  complete  thoroughness, 
that  when  one  considers  the  brevity  with  which  they  express 
this  great  and  mighty  thought  in  its  entirety,  about  which 
others  have  written  whole  books  and  yet  without  adequately 
explaining  it,  one  truly  recognizes  that  the  Rabbis  undoubtedly 
spoke  through  divine  inspiration.  This  saying  is  found 
among  their  precepts,  and  is,  "Let  all  thy  deeds  be  done  in 
the  name  of  God."    See  Gorfinkle,  The  Eight  Chapters,  p.  73. 

(43)  This  prayer  consists  of  three  portions  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch (Deut.  VI,  4-9;  XI,  13-21;  Num.  XV,  37^1), 
and  gets  its  name  from  the  initial  word  of  the  first  portion. 
It  is  appointed  to  be  read  twice  daily,  in  the  morning  and 
in  the  evening.  On  the  time  when  the  Shema  is  to  be  read, 
see  Berachot  I,  1.  See  Schiirer,  History,  II,  ii,  77,  83  et  seq.; 
Friedliinder,  Jewish  Religion,  pp.  430,  435;  Jewish  Encyclo- 
pedia, art.  Shema,  and  Ailler,  in  the  Jewish  Review  (London, 
1910),  vol.  I,  number  2,  p.  159. 

(44)  An  important  part  of  the  ritual  said  at  the  daily 
morning,  afterneon,  and  evening  service,  and  also  at  the  ad- 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  49 

thy  prayer  as  a  fixed  (mechanical)  task,  but  as  (an 
appeal  for)  mercy  and  grace  before  the  All-present, 
as  it  is  said,  'For  he  is  gracious  and  full  of  mercy, 
slow  to  anger,  and  abounding  in  loving-kindness, 
and  repenteth  him  of  the  evil'  (45);  and  be  not 
wicked  in  thine  own  esteem"  (46).  19.  R.  Eleazar 
said,  "Be  diligent  in  studying  Torah,  and  know 
what  answer  to  give  to  the  unbeliever  (47);    know 

ditional  service  on  Sabbaths  and  holy  days,  is  known  as 
(1)  Tefillah  (prayer),  or  (2)  Shemoneh  Esreh  (eighteen),  or 
(3)  Amidah  (standing).  It  is  known  as  Tefillah  because  it 
is  considered  the  prayer  par  excellence;  as  Shemoneh  Esreh 
because  originally  it  consisted  of  eighteen  prayers  (now 
nineteen);  and  as  Amidah  (by  Sephardic  Jews)  because  it 
must  be  said  standing.  The  Shema  and  the  Shem/)neh  Esreh 
have  been  appropriately  styled  the  "two  pillars  of  the  fabric 
of  the  liturgy."  See  Schiirer,  ibid.;  Friedlander,  ibid.,  pp. 
430,  437;  in  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Shemoneh  Esreh; 
Schechter,  Studies,  II,  pp.  67-68;  Adler,  ibid.,  p.  159;  and 
Herford,  ibid.,  pp.  298-299. 

(45)  Joel  II,  13. 

(46)  Do  not  do  what  your  conscience  tells  you  is  wrong, 
even  though  it  does  not  appear  to  others  as  such;  or,  do  not 
sin  in  secret,  thinking  that  you  will  escape  punishment 
because  others  do  not  see  you. 

(47)  Apikuros  is  a  term  originally  used  to  designate  a 
follower  of  the  philosopher  Epicurus,  whose  axiom  was  that 
"happiness  or  enjoyment  is  the  summum  bonum  of  life." 
Later,  this  word  was  used  by  the  Rabbis  to  designate  a  free- 
thinker, a  heretic,  an  unbeliever,  or  a  despiser  of  the  Law, 
Jewish  or  non-Jewish.  Josephus  {Antiquities,  X,  11,  7,  ed. 
Whiston-Margohouth,  p.  300)  describes  the  Epicureans  as 
those  "who  cast  providence  out  of  human  life,  and  do  not 
believe  that  God  takes  care  of  the  affairs  of  the  world,  nor 
that  the  universe  is  governed  and  continued  in  being  by 


60  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

also  before  whom  thou  toilest,  and  who  thy  Em- 
ployer is,  who  will  pay  thee  the  reward  of  thy  labor." 

20.  Rabbi  Tarfon  (48)  said,  "The  day  is  short, 
the  task  is  great  (49),  the  laborers  are  sluggish,  the 
reward  is  much,  and  the  Master  of  the  house  (50) 
is  urgent."  21.  He  used  also  to  say,  "It  is  not  thy 
duty  to  complete  the  work,  but  neither  art  thou 
free  to  desist  from  it;  if  thou  hast  studied  much 
Torah,  much  reward  will  be  given  thee;  and  faith- 
ful is  thy  Employer  to  pay  thee  the  reward  of  thy 
labor;  and  know  that  the  grant  of  reward  unto  the 
righteous  will  be  in  the  time  to  come"  (51). 

"Rabbi  Chanania,"  etc.,  p.  38. 

that  blessed  and  immortal  nature,  but  say  that  the  world 
is  carried  along  of  its  own  accord  without  a  ruler  and  a 
curator."  Maimonides,  in  his  commentary  on  Sanhedrin, 
X,  1,  derives  the  word  from  the  Hebrew,  IpDH,  "freedom," 
and  defines  it  as  one  who  refuses  obedience  to  the  Law. 
Schechter  {Studies  in  Judaism,  I,  p.  158)  says,  "It  implies 
rather  a  frivolous  treatment  of  the  words  of  Scripture  and 
tradition."  See  the  Jetvish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Apikuros,  and 
Barton,  Ecclesiastes,  p.  41.  This  verse  may  also  be  ren- 
dered, "Study  Torah,  and  also  know  (yil)  how  to  answer 
an  unbeliever,"  meaning  that  first  one  should  study  Torah 
and  Talmud,  and  then  give  his  time  to  learning  other  knowl- 
edge, so  as  to  be  able  to  refute  those  who  stray  from  the  truth. 

(48)  A  contemporary  of  Jochanan  ben  Zakkai's  five  dis- 
ciples and  of  Akiba.  See  Bacher,  ibid.,  pp.  348-358,  and 
Meyer,  ibid.,  p.  179. 

(49)  The  day,  i.e.,  the  Ufe  of  man,  is  brief.  Art  is  long, 
but  life  is  short.  (50)  I.e.,  God. 

(51)  A  man  cannot  finish  the  work  of  the  world,  yet  he 
must  not  yield  to  idleness  and  despair,  but  must  do  his  share 
to  the  bept  of  his  abiUty.     His  reward  will  come  in  the  future. 


CHAPTER  III 

"All  Israel,"  etc.,  p.  29. 

1.  Akabia  (l),  the  son  of  Mahalalel,  said,  "Con- 
sider three  things,  and  thou  wilt  not  come  within 
the  power  of  sin  (2) :  know  whence  thou  earnest, 
and  whither  thou  art  going,  and  before  whom  thou 
wilt  in  the  future  have  to  give  an  account  and 
reckoning  (3).  Whence  thou  earnest:  from  a  fetid 
drop;  whither  thou  art  going:  to  a  place  of  dust, 
worms,  and  maggots  (4);  and  before  whom  thou 
wilt  in  the  future  have  to  give  an  account  and 
reckoning:  before  the  Supreme  King  of  kings,  the 
Holy  One,  blessed  be  He." 

(1)  He  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  first  century. 

(2)  Cf.  chapter  II,  1. 

(3)  Compare  with  this  saying  the  exposition  by  Akiba  of 
Eccl.  XII,  1 :  T'N-lU-nK  IIDTI  "but  remember  thy  creator." 
Playing  upon  the  word  "I^N"l13,  he  says,  "Remember  thy 
source  ("I"1N3),  thy  grave  ("IIH),  and  thy  creator  ("]N13)," 
Kohelet  Rabbah,  ad.  loc.  If  man  thinks  of  whence  he  comes, 
he  is  rendered  humble;  if  he  reflects  upon  whither  he  is 
going,  he  prizes  worldly  things  Ughtly;  and  if  he  considers 
Him  before  whom  he  must  give  an  account,  he  obeys  God's 
laws. 

(4)  Cf.  Job  XXV,  6:  "How  much  less  the  mortal,  the 
mere  worm  (riDI)  ?  and  the  son  of  the  earth,  the  mere  mag- 
got (nypin)  ?"  can  be  pure  in  God's  eyes. 

51 


52  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

2.  R.  Chanina,  the  Vice-High-Priest  (5),  said, 
''Pray  for  the  welfare  of  the  government,  since  but 
for  the  fear  thereof  men  would  swallow  each  other 
alive"  (6). 

3.  R.  Chananiah,  the  son  of  Teradion  (7),  said, 
"If  two  sit  together  and  interchange  no  words  of 
Torah,  they  are  a  meeting  of  scorners,  concerning 
whom  it  is  said,  'The  godly  man  sitteth  not  in  the 
seat  of  the  scorners '  (8) ;  but  if  two  sit  together  and 
interchange  words  of  Torah,  the  Divine  Presence  (9) 

(5)  Chief  of  the  priests,  adjutant  high-priest.  The  segan 
was  next  in  rank  to  the  high-priest.  None  could  be  appointed 
high-priest  unless  he  had  occupied  the  office  of  the  segan 
(Palestinian  Talmud,  Yoma,  III,  41a,  top).  According  to 
Schiirer,  he  was  "the  captain  of  the  Temple,"  whose  duty 
it  was  to  superintend  arrangements  for  keeping  order  in  and 
around  the  Temple.  He  was  also  present  at  all  important 
functions  in  which  the  high-priest  took  part,  such  as  the 
drawing  of  lots  in  the  case  of  the  two  goats  on  Yom  Kippur 
(Yoma  III,  9,  IV,  1);  when  reading  from  the  Torah  {Yoma, 
VII,  1;  Solah  VII,  7,  8),  and  when  offering  the  daily  sacrifice 
{Tamid  VII,  3).  Rabbi  Chanina  was  the  last  to  bear  this 
title,  his  son  being  known  as  Simeon  ben  ha-Segan.  See 
Bacher,  Agada  der  Tanaiten,  pp.  55-58,  Schiirer,  History, 
II,  i,  257-259. 

(6)  Cf:  Jer.  XXIX,  7,  "And  seek  the  peace  of  the  city 
whither  I  have  caused  you  to  be  carried  away  captives,  and 
pray  unto  the  Lord  for  it;  for  in  the  peace  thereof  shall  ye 
have  peace,"  and  Abodah  Zarah,  3b. 

(7)  He  hved  about  120  c.e.  He  was  the  father  of  Beru- 
riah,  the  wife  of  Rabbi  Meir. 

(8)  Ps.  I,  1.  Verse  2  of  this  psalm  continues,  "But  his 
delight  is  in  the  Law  of  the  Lord." 

(9)  nJOK'  literally  "dwelling,"  is  a  name  appUed  to  God 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  53 

abides  among  them;  as  it  is  said,  'Then  they  that 
feared  the  Lord  spake  one  with  the  other:  and  the 
Lord  hearkened  and  heard,  and  a  book  of  remem- 
brance was  written  before  Him,  for  them  that 
feared  the  Lord,  and  that  thought  upon  His  name,' 
(10).  Now  the  Scripture  enables  me  to  draw  this 
inference  in  respect  to  two  persons;  whence  can  it 
be  deduced  that  if  even  one  person  sedulously  occu- 
pies himself  with  the  Torah,  the  Holy  One,  blessed 
be  He,  appoints  unto  him  a  reward?  Because  it  is 
said,  'Though  he  sit  alone,  and  meditate  in  still- 
ness, yet  he  taketh  it  (the  reward)  upon  him'  "  (11). 
4.  R.  Simeon  (12)  said,  "If  three  have  eaten  at 
a  table  and  have  spoken  there  no  words  of  Torah, 
it  is  as  if  they  had  eaten  of  sacrifices  to  dead  idols, 
of  whom  it  is  said,  'For  all  their  tables  are  full  of 
vomit  and  filthiness;  the  All-present  is  not  (in 
their  thoughts)'  (13).     But  if  three  have  eaten  at 

when  He  is  spoken  of  as  dwelling  among  men.     See  Schechter, 
Aspects,  en  passim;  Abelson,  Immanence  of  God,  p.  77  et  seq. 

(10)  Mai.  Ill,  16. 

(11)  Lam.  Ill,  27. 

(12)  Rabbi  Simeon  ben  Yochai  lived  about  the  middle  of 
the  second  century  c.e.,  and  was  a  pupil  of  Akiba.  See 
Danziger,  ibid.,  pp.  211-241.  He  was  long  thought  to  be 
the  author  of  the  well-known  kabbalistic  work  Zohar,  which 
was,  however,  probably  WTitten  in  the  thirteenth  century  by 
Moses  Shem  Tob  de  Leon.  See  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia, 
art.  Zohar;  Graetz,  History,  IV,  p.  11  et  seq.;  Schechter, 
Studies,  I,  pp.  18,  19,  133;  and  H.  SperUng,  in  Aspects  of  the 
Hebrew  Genius,  p.  165  et  seq. 

(13)  Isa.  XXVIII,  8.  The  literal  interpretation  of  •'?3 
DIpD  is,  there  is  "no  place"  clean  of  defilement;  but  the  word 


54  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

a  table  and  have  spoken  there  words  of  Torah,  it  is 
as  if  they  had  eaten  at  the  table  of  the  All-present, 
for  Scripture  says,  'And  he  said  unto  me,  This  is 
the  table  that  is  before  the  Lord'  "  (14). 

5.  R.  Chanina,  the  son  of  Hakinai  (15),  said, 
"He  who  keeps  awake  at  night,  and  goes  on  his 
way  alone,  while  turning  his  heart  to  vanity,  such 
a  one  forfeits  his  own  life"  (16). 

6.  R.  Nechunya,  son  of  ha-Kanah  (17),  said, 
"Whoso  receives  upon  himself  the  yoke  of  the  Torah, 
from  him  the  yoke  of  the  kingdom  and  the  yoke  of 
worldly  care  will  be  removed  (18),  but  whoso  breaks 
off  from  him  the  yoke  of  the  Torah,  upon  him  will 
be  laid  the  yoke  of  the  kingdom  and  the  yoke  of 
worldly  care." 

7.  R.  Chalafta,  the  son  of  Dosa  (19),  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Chanania  said,  "When  ten  people  sit  to- 
gether and  occupy  themselves  with  the  Torah,  the 

DIpD  being  used  to  designate  God  (see  above,  chapter  II,  n. 
35),  suggests  the  interpretation,  "  without  mention  of  the 
name  of  God." 

(14)  Ezek.  XLI,  22. 

(15)  He  hved  about  120  c.e.,  and  was  a  pupil  of  Akiba. 
See  Bacher,  ibid.,  436  et  seq. 

(16)  Even  the  sleepless  man  and  the  solitary  traveller 
must  turn  their  thoughts  to  the  Torah. 

(17)  He  lived  about  80  c.e.  See  Bacher,  ibid.,  pp. 
58-61. 

(18)  The  "yoke  of  the  kingdom"  refers  to  the  taxes  and 
burdens  exacted  by  the  government;  the  "yoke  of  worldly 
care"  is  anxiety  of  the  struggle  for  existence. 

(19)  He  was  probably  a  disciple  of  R.  Meir.  See  below, 
n.  32. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  55 

Shechinah  (20)  abides  among  them,  as  it  is  said, 
'God  standeth  in  the  congregation  (21)  of  the 
godly'  (22).  And  whence  can  it  be  shown  that  the 
same  applies  to  five?  Because  it  is  said,  'He  hath 
founded  his  band  (23)  upon  the  earth'  (24).  And 
whence  can  it  be  shown  that  the  same  applies  to 
three?  Because  it  is  said,  'He  judgeth  among  the 
judges'  (25).  And  whence  can  it  be  shown  that 
the  same  applies  to  two?  Because  it  is  said,  'Then 
they  that  feared  the  Lord  spake  one  with  the  other; 
and  the  Lord  hearkened,  and  heard'  (26),  And 
whence  can  it  be  shown  that  the  same  applies  even 
to  one?  Because  it  is  said,  'In  every  place  where  I 
cause  my  name  to  be  remembered  I  will  come  unto 
thee  and  I  will  bless  thee'  "  (27). 


(20)  See  above,  n.  9. 

(21)  An  edah,  "assembly,"  "congregation,"  "prayer- 
meeting,"  consists  of  at  least  ten  persons  {Megillah,  23b). 
See  Sulzberger,  The  Ancient  Hebrew  Parliament,  chapter  I. 

(22)  Ps.  LXXXII,  1. 

(23)  An  agudah  (Ut.,  "bundle,"  "bunch"),  "bond," 
"union,"  is  constituted  of  at  least  five,  though  some  author- 
ities maintain  that  it  stands  for  three.  See  Taylor,  Sayings, 
p.  46,  n.  15.  This  word  is  used  in  the  name  of  a  number  of 
Jewish  societies  whose  members  bind  themselves  to  brotherly 
love  and  mutual  assistance,  as  Agudat  Achim,  "United 
Brethren,"  etc. 

(24)  Amos  IX,  6. 

(25)  Ps.  LXXXII,  1.  Every  bet  din,  "judicial  tribunal," 
consisted  of  at  least  three  members  {Sanhedrin,  3b). 

(26)  Mai.  Ill,  16. 

(27)  Ex.  XX,  24. 


56  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

8.  R.  Eleazar  of  Bertota  (28)  said,  "Give  unto 
Him  of  what  is  His,  for  thou  and  thine  are  His: 
this  is  also  found  expressed  by  David,  who  said, 
'For  all  things  come  of  Thee,  and  of  Thine  own  we 
have  given  Thee'  "  (29). 

9.  R.  Jacob  said,  "  He  who  is  walking  by  the  way 
and  studying,  and  breaks  off  his  study  and  says, 
'How  fine  is  that  tree,  how  fine  is  that  fallow,'  him 
the  Scripture  regards  as  if  he  had  forfeited  his  life" 
(30).  _      ._ 

10.  R.  Dostai  (31),  the  son  of  Jannai,  said  in  the 
name  of  R.  Meir  (32),  "Whoso  forgets  one  word  of 
his  study,  him  the  Scripture  regards  as  if  he  had 
forfeited  his  life,  for  it  is  said,  'Only  take  heed  to 
thyself,  and  keep  thy  soul  diligently,  lest  thou  for- 
get the  things  which  thine  eyes  have  seen'  (33). 
Now,  one  might  suppose  (that  the  same  result  fol- 
lows) even  if  a  man's  study  has  been  too  hard  for 
him.  (To  guard  against  such  an  inference),  it  is 
said,  *And  lest  they  depart  from  thy  heart  all  the 

(28)  He  lived  during  the  second  century  c.e.  See  Bacher, 
ibid.,  pp.  442-44.5. 

(29)  I  Chron.  XXIX,  14. 

(30)  One  must  not  interrupt  his  studies  even  to  admire 
the  beauties  of  nature. 

(31)  He  lived  about  160  c.e. 

(32)  Rabbi  Meir  was  the  celebrated  pupil  of  Akiba.  His 
wife  was  the  well-known  Beruriah.  On  his  interesting 
career,  see  Blumenthal,  Rabbi  Meir,  Myers,  The  Story  of  the 
Jewish  People,  I,  pp.  189-204,  and  Danziger,  Jewish  Fore- 
runners of  Christianity,  pp.  185-210. 

(33)  Deut.  IV,  9. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  57 

days  of  thy  life'  (34).  Thus  a  person's  guilt  is  not 
established  until  he  deliberately  and  of  set  purpose 
removes  those  lessons  from  his  heart." 

11.  R.  Chanina,  the  son  of  Dosa  (35),  said,  "He 
in  whom  the  fear  of  sin  precedes  wisdom,  his  wis- 
dom shall  endure;  but  he  in  whom  wisdom  comes 
before  the  fear  of  sin,  his  wisdom  will  not  endure" 
(36).  12.  He  used  to  say,  "He  whose  works  ex- 
ceed his  wisdom,  his  wisdom  shall  endure;  but  he 
whose  wisdom  exceeds  his  works,  his  wisdom  will 
not  endure"  (37).  13.  He  used  to  say,  "He  in 
whom  the  spirit  of  his  fellow-creatures  takes  not 
delight,  in  him  the  Spirit  of  the  All-present  takes 
not  delight." 

14.  R.  Dosa,  the  son  of  Horkinas  (38),  said, 
"Morning  sleep,  midday  wine,  childish  babbling, 
and  attending  the  houses  of  assembly  of  the  ignor- 
ant waste  a  man's  life"  (39). 

15.  R.    Eleazar  ha-Mudai   said,    "He   who   pro- 

(34)  Deut.  IV,  9. 

(35)  A  contemporary  of  Jochanan  ben  Zakkai  (10  b.c.e.- 
90  C.E.).  See  Friedlander,  Ben  Dosa  und  seine  Zeit  (Prag, 
1872),  and  Bacher,  ibid.,  283  et  seq. 

(36)  Cf.  Ps.  CXI,  10:  "The  beginning  of  wisdom  is  the 
fear  of  the  Lord."  "A  man's  fear  of  sin  should  be  instinc- 
tive, rather  than  a  result  of  calculation,  ...  a  man  should 
build  upon  the  foundation  of  religious  feeling,  rather  than 
upon  philosophy"  (Taylor). 

(37)  Cf.  above,  chapter  I,  17,  "Not  learning  but  doing  is 
the  chief  thing." 

(38)  A  contemporary  of  Jochanan  ben  Zakkai. 

(39)  Idleness,  etc.,  indispose  one  for  the  study  of  the 
Torah  and  for  business. 


58  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

fanes  things  sacred,  and  despises  the  festivals,  and 
puts  his  fellow-man  to  shame  in  public,  and  makes 
void  the  covenant  of  Abraham,  our  father  (40),  and 
makes  the  Torah  bear  a  meaning  other  than  the 
right  (41);  (such  a  one)  even  though  knowledge  of 
the  Torah  and  good  deeds  be  his,  has  no  share  in 
the  world  to  come"  (42). 

16.  R.  Ishmael  (43)  said,  "Be  submissive  to  a 
superior  (44),  affable  to  the  young  (45),  and  receive 
all  men  with  cheerfulness"  (46). 

17.  R.  Akiba  (47)  said,  "Jesting  and  levity  lead 

(40)  I.e.,  circumcision. 

(41)  Or  "acts  barefacedly  against  the  Torah." 

(42)  Knowledge  and  moral  excellence  alone  are  not  suffi- 
cient. 

(43)  Lived  about  120  c.e.     See  Bacher,  ibid.,  pp.  240-271. 

(44)  Or  "be  pliant  of  disposition." 

(45)  mntJTlp  is  variously  rendered  as-the  "young"  (Mai- 
monides,  Bartenora,  Geiger,  Jastrow),  "impressment" 
(Rashbam,  Taylor),  "sovereign  authority"  (Levy,  Chald. 
Worterbuch,  sub  IH'^,  Fiebig),  and  "a  suppliant"  (Singer). 

(46)  Cf.  chapter  I,  15. 

(47)  Akiba  ben  Joseph  (born  about  50  c.e.,  died  about 
132)  was  the  greatest  of  the  Tannaim  (teachers  mentioned  in 
the  Mishnah).  He  was  a  "proselyte  of  righteousness" 
iger  tzedek).  Until  middle  age,  he  remained  illiterate  and 
averse  to  study,  but  was  spurred  on  to  become  learned  in 
the  Torah  by  the  daughter  of  the  rich  Kalba  Shabua,  whom 
he  subsequently  married.  He  was  the  pupil  of  R.  Eliezer 
ben  Hyrcanos,  R.  Jochanan  ben  Chanania,  and  Nahum  of 
Gimzo.  He  espoused  the  cause  of  Bar  Kochba,  acknowl- 
edging him  as  the  Messiah,  and  is  said  to  have  travelled 
throughout  the  land  stirring  up  opposition  to  Rome.  At 
the  fall  of  Betar,  he  was  captured  by  the  Romans,  and  most 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  59 

a  man  on  to  lewdness.     The  Massorah  (48)   is  a 

cruelly  put  to  death,  expiring  with  the  Shema  upon  his  lips. 
R.  Akiba  definitely  fixed  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament. 
He  compiled  and  systematized  the  traditional  law,  in  this 
respect  being  the  forerunner  of  R.  Judah  ha-Nasi  (see 
chapter  II,  n.  1),  whose  Mishnah  may  be  considered  as  being 
derived  from  that  of  the  school  of  Akiba.  His  importance 
may  be  gauged  by  the  following  statement  from  the  Talmud, 
"Our  Mishnah  comes  directly  from  R.  Meir  (a  disciple  of 
Akiba),  the  Tosefia  from  R.  Nehemiah,  the  Sifra  from  R. 
Judah,  and  the  Sifre  from  R.  Simon;  but  they  all  took  Akiba 
for  a  model  in  their  works  and  followed  him"  {Sanhedrin, 
86a).  Akiba  introduced  a  new  method  of  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture, in  which  not  a  word,  syllable,  or  letter  was  considered 
superfluous,  finding  thereby  a  basis  for  many  oral  laws.  His 
hermeneutical  and  exegetical  activities  were  remarkable. 
Many  interesting  legends  have  clustered  about  his  name. 
See  Bacher,  ibid.,  271-348;  Mielziner,  Introduction  to  the 
Talmud,  pp.  29,  125-126;  Isaacs,  Stories  from  the  Rabbis, 
p.  61  et  seq.;  Danziger,  ibid.,  pp.  152-184;  the  Jewish  Ency- 
clopedia, arts.  Akiba  ben  Joseph  and  Akiba  ben  Joseph  in 
Legend;  Myers,  Story  of  the  Jewish  People,  pp.  171-188;  and 
Geiger,  Judaism  and  its  History,  p.  226  ct  seq.,  230  et  seq. 

(48)  Massorah,  from  root  masar,  "to  deliver,"  "hand 
over,"  "transmit,"  means  a  "chain  of  tradition."  It  is  used 
to  designate  tradition  in  general,  and  is  thus  correlative  with 
kabbalah.  The  Massorah  contains  information  for  the  cor- 
rect transcription  of  the  Scripture.  As  used  here,  it  means 
the  traditional  interpretation  of  the  Torah.  Cf.  chapter  I,  1, 
"Moses  received  the  Torah  on  Sinai,  and  handed  it  down 
(utnsarah)  to  Joshua,"  and  "make  a  fence  around  the  Torah." 
Consult  Driver,  Notes  on  Samuel,  Intro.,  p.  37  et  seq.;  Schiirer, 
ibid.,  II,  i,  328;  Taylor,  Sayings,  p.  55,  n.  33;  Friedlander 
ibid.,  p.  55,  203,  266;  Jewish  Encyclopedia  s.v.;  and  The 
Companion  Bible  (London,  Oxford  University  Press),  Pt.  I, 
Appendix,  30. 


60  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

rampart  around  the  Torah;  tithes  are  a  safeguard 
to  riches  (49);  good  resolves  are  a  fence  to  absti- 
nence (50);  a  hedge  around  wisdom  is  silence"  (51). 
18.  He  used  to  say,  "Beloved  is  man,  for  he  was 
created  in  the  image  (of  God);  but  it  was  by  a 
special  love  that  it  was  made  known  to  him  that 
he  was  created  in  the  image  of  God,  as  it  is  said, 
'For  in  the  image  of  God  made  he  man'  (52).  Be- 
loved are  Israel,  or  they  were  called  children  of 
the  All-present,  but  it  was  by  a  special  love  that 
it  was  made  known  to  them  that  they  were  called 
children  of  the  All-present,  as  it  is  said,  'Ye  are 
children  unto  the  Lord  your  God'  (53).  Beloved 
are  Israel,  for  unto  them  was  given  the  desirable 
instrument  (54);  but  it  was  by  a  special  love  that 
it  was  made  knoAvn  to  them  that  that  desirable  in- 
strument was  theirs,  through  which  the  world  was 
created,  as  it  is  said,  'For  I  give  you  good  doctrine; 
forsake  ye  not  my  Torah*  (55).  19.  Everything  is 
foreseen,  yet  free  will  is  given  (56) ;    and  the  world 

(49)  On  tithes,  see  chaiilor  I,  n.  37.  Cf.  Shabhat,  119a, 
and  Taatiil,  9a  (play  on -|t:'j;mK'y,  Deut.  XXIV,  22),  ntTJ? 
"ICJ'ynnC'  ^''3tJ'2  "give  tithes  in  order  that  thou  maycst 
become  rich." 

(50)  Lit.,  "separation,"  i.e.,  from  defilement,  hence  "sanc- 
tity" (Taylor). 

(51)  Cf.  chapter  I,  17. 

(52)  Gen.  IX,  6. 

(53)  Deut.  XIV,  1. 

(54)  I.e.,  the  Torah. 

(55)  Prov.  IV,  2. 

(56)  The  onmiscience  and  prescience  of  God  do  not  de- 


SAYINGS  OF  IHE  JEWISH  FATHERS  61 

is  judged  by  grace,  yet  all  is  according  to  the  amount 
of  the  work  "  (57).  20.  He  used  to  say,  ''Every- 
thing is  given  on  pledge  (58),  and  a  net  is  spread' 
for  all  the  living  (59) ;  the  shop  is  open  (60) ;  the 
dealer  gives  credit;  the  ledger  lies  open;  the  hand 
\\Tites;  and  whosoever  wishes  to  borrow  may  come 
and  borrow;  but  the  collectors  regularly  make  their 
daily  round,  and  exact  payment  from  man  whether 
he  be  content  or  not  (61);  and  they  have  that 
whereon  they  can  rely  in  their  demand;  and  the 
judgment  is  a  judgment  of  truth  (62);  and  every- 
thing is  prepared  for  the  feast"  (63). 
21.  R.   Eleazar,   the   son  of  Azariah  (64),   said, 

prive  men  of  free  will.     Maimonides  explains  this  in  the  last 
chapter  of  the  Shemonah  Pcrakim  (ed.  Gorfinkle,  p.  85  et  seq.). 

(57)  Maimonides  interprets  the  last  phrase  as  meaning  to 
do  many  small  deeds  of  charity  rather  than  one  great  deed 
of  goodness.  For  instance,  it  is  better  to  distribute  one 
hundred  coins  among  one  hundred  people  than  to  give  them 
all  to  one  person. 

(58)  The  world  is  compared  to  the  office  of  a  merchant. 

(59)  Eccl.  IX,  12:  "for  man  also  knoweth  not  his  time, 
like  the  fishes  that  are  caught  in  an  evil  net." 

(60)  The  shop  stands  for  the  world  and  its  enjoyments. 

(61)  Man  has  free  will,  and  is  therefore  responsible  for 
all  his  acts. 

(62)  For  everything  is  recorded. 

(63)  This  world  is  merely  a  preparation  for  the  next.  The 
enjojonent  of  the  world  to  come  is  likened  by  the  Rabbis  to 
a  banquet,  which  is  shared  in  by  the  good  and  the  bad,  after 
they  have  paid  off  their  moral  debts. 

(64)  R.  Eleazar  ben  Azariah,  a  Mishnaic  scholar  of  the 
iirst  century,  was  of  a  rich  and  influential  family,  and  was  a 


62  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

"Where  there  is  no  Torah,  there  are  no  manners; 
where  there  are  no  manners,  there  is  no  Torah: 
where  there  is  no  wisdom,  there  is  no  lear  of  God; 
where  there  is  no  fear  of  God,  there  is  no  wisdom: 
where  there  is  no  knowledge,  there  is  no  under- 
standing; where  there  is  no  understanding,  there 
is  no  knowledge  (65) :  where  there  is  no  meal,  there 
is  no  Torah;  where  there  is  no  Torah,  there  is  no 
meal"  (66).  22.  He  used  to  say,  "He  whose  wis- 
dom exceeds  his  works,  to  what  is  he  like?  To  a 
tree  whose  branches  are  many,  but  whose  roots  are 
few;  and  the  wind  comes  and  plucks  it  up,  and 
overturns  it  upon  its  face,  as  it  is  said,  '  And  he  shall 
be  like  a  lonely  juniper  tree  in  the  desert,  and  shall 
not  see  when  good  cometh;  but  shall  inhabit  the 
parched  places  in  the  wilderness,  a  salt  land  and 
not  inhabited'  (67).  But  he  whose  works  exceed  his 
wisdom,  to  what  is  he  like?  To  a  tree  whose  branches 
are  few,  but  whose  roots  are  many,  so  that  though 

descendant  of  Ezra  the  Scribe.  At  seventeen  or  eighteen, 
upon  the  deposition  of  Gamaliel  II,  Eleazar,  because  of  his 
popularity  and  erudition,  was  chosen  to  fill  the  position  of 
the  president  of  the  academy  at  Jabneh.  Upon  Gamaliel's 
restoration,  he  was  made  vice-president  (ab  bet  din).  See 
Bacher,  ibid.,  219-240. 

(65)  Cf.  Prov.  IX,  10:  "The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  begin- 
ning of  wisdom,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  holy  is  understand- 
ing." 

(66)  Where  there  is  a  want  of  the  means  of  sustenance 
there  is  no  studying  of  Torah,  and  without  spiritual  nourish- 
ment, physical  nourishment  has  no  value. 

(67)  Jcr.  XVII,  6. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  63 

all  the  winds  in  the  world  come  and  blow  upon  it, 
they  cannot  stir  it  from  its  place,  as  it  is  said,  'And 
he  shall  be  as  a  tree  planted  by  the  waters;  and 
that  spreadeth  out  its  roots  by  the  river  and  shall 
not  perceive  when  heat  cometh,  but  his  leaf  shall 
be  green;  and  shall  not  be  troubled  in  the  year  of 
drought,  neither  shall  cease  from  yielding  fruit'  " 
(68). 

23.  R.  Eleazar  Chisma  (69)  said,  "The  laws  con- 
cerning the  sacrifices  of  birds  and  the  purification 
of  women  are  essential  ordinances  (70) ;  astronomy 
and  geometry  are  the  after-courses  of  wisdom"  (71). 

"Rabbi  Chanania,"  etc.,  p.  38. 

(68)  Jer.,  XVII,  8.     Cf.  verse  12,  above. 

(69)  A  contemporary  of  Akiba. 

(70)  Kinnim,  "nests,"  is  the  name  of  a  tract  in  Seder  Kodas- 
him  of  the  Mishnah,  and  tells  of  the  young  birds,  which  men 
and  women  were  at  times  required  to  offer  as  sacrifice.  Nid- 
dah  is  a  tract  of  Seder  Teharot  of  the  Mishnah,  and  relates  of 
the  uncleannesses  of  woman. 

(71)  I.e.,  the  mathematical  sciences,  in  which  R.  Eleazar 
was  very  proficient,  are  only  to  be  considered  as  helps  to  the 
study  of  the  essentials  of  Turah. 


CHAPTER  IV 

"All  Israel,"  etc.,  p.  29. 

1.  Ben  Zoma  (1)  said,  "Who  is  wise?  He  who 
learns  from  all  men,  as  it  is  said,  'From  all  my 

(1)  Simon  ben  Zoma  and  Simon  ben  Azzai,  Tannaim  of 
the  second  century,  were  generally  known  as  ben  Zoma  and 
ben  Azzai,  as  they  never  received  the  title  of  Rabbi,  according 
to  one  view.  According  to  another  opinion,  they  were  called 
by  their  fathers'  names,  because  they  both  died  young.  To- 
gether with  Akiba  and  Elisha  ben  Abuyah  (Acher),  they 
entered,  legend  says,  into  the  paradise  of  esoteric  knowledge. 
"Four  (sages),"  we  are  told,  "entered  paradise,  ben  Azzai, 
ben  Zoma,  Acher,  and  Akiba.  Ben  Azzai  looked  and  died; 
ben  Zoma  went  mad;  Acher  destroyed  the  plants;  Akiba 
alone  came  out  unhurt"  {Chagigah,  14b).  The  interpreta- 
tion of  this  passage  is  that  ben  Azzai  died  prematurely,  worn 
out  by  his  activities  in  mystical  and  theosophic  speculation; 
ben  Zoma  became  demented  thereby;  EUsha,  contemptu- 
ously referred  to  as  Acher  (the  other),  became  an  apostate; 
but  Akiba  was  unaffected.  Ben  Zoma  was  famous  for  his 
wisdom,  it  being  said  of  him,  "Whoever  sees  ben  Zoma  in 
his  dream  is  assured  of  scholarship"  {Berachot,  57b).  With 
him,  it  was  said,  the  last  of  the  interpreters  of  the  Law  {dar- 
shanim)  died  (Solah,  49b).  His  interpretation  of  the  bib- 
lical passage  "that  thou  mayest  remember  when  thou  earn- 
est forth  out  of  Egypt"  is  found  in  the  Ilaggadnh  of  Passover 
eve.  See  Bacher,  Agada  der  Tanailen,  pp.  425-432;  Schech- 
ter,  Studies,  I,  pp.  129-130;  H.  Sperling,  in  Aspects  oj  the 
Hebrew  Genius,  p.  150. 

64* 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  65 

teachers  I  have  gotten  understanding'  (2).  Who  is 
mighty?  He  who  controls  his  passions,  as  it  is  said, 
'  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty, 
and  he  that  riileth  over  his  spirit  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city'  (3).  Who  is  rich?  He  who  rejoices 
in  his  portion,  as  it  is  said,  'When  thou  eatest  the 
labor  of  thine  hands,  happy  art  thou,  and  it  shall 
be  well  with  thoo '  (4) ;  haii]:)y  art  thou  in  this  world, 
and  it  shall  be  well  with  thee  in  the  world  to  come. 
Who  is  honored?  He  who  honors  others,  as  it  is 
said,  '  For  them  that  honor  me  I  will  honor,  and  they 
that  despise  me  shall  be  held  in  contempt'  "  (5). 

2.  Ben  Azzai  (6)  said,  "Hasten  to  do  even  a 
slight  precept  (7),  and  flee  from  transgression;  for 
one  virtue  leads  to  another,  and  transgression  draws 
transgression  in  its  train;    for  the  recompense  of  a 

(2)  Ps.  CXIX,  9. 

(3)  Prov.  XVI,  32. 

(4)  Ps.  CXXVIII,  2.  The  discontented  rich  man,  even, 
is  poor. 

(5)  I  Sam.  II,  30. 

(6)  Simon  ben  Azzai  (see  n.  1)  was  a  very  assiduous  stu- 
dent and  a  man  of  great  piety.  He  was  betrothed  to  the 
daughter  of  Akiba,  but  separated  from  his  prospective  wife 
in  order  to  devote  aU  of  his  time  to  study.  It  was  said  of 
him,  "At  the  death  of  ben  Azzai,  the  last  industrious  man 
passed  away"  (Sotah  IX,  15),  and  "He  who  sees  ben  Azzai 
in  a  dream  might  hope  for  sainthness."  He  declared  that 
the  greatest  prmciple  of  Judaism  is  the  belief  in  the  common 
brotherhood  of  all  mankind,  which  he  derived  from  the  pas- 
sage, Genesis  VI,  1,  "This  is  the  generation  of  Adam  (man)." 
See  Bacher,  ibid.,  409-424. 

(7)  Cf.  chapter  II,  1. 


66  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

virtue  is  a  virtue,  and  the  recompense  of  a  trans- 
gression is  a  transgression"  (8).  3.  He  used  to 
say,  "Despise  not  any  man,  and  carp  not  at  any 
thing  (9) ;  for  there  is  not  a  man  that  has  not  his 
hour,  and  there  is  not  a  thing  that  has  not  its  place." 

4.  R,  Levitas  of  Jabneh  said,  "Be  exceedingly 
lowly  of  spirit  (10),  since  the  hope  of  man  is  but  the 
worm." 

5.  R.  Jochanan,  the  son  of  Berokah  (11),  said, 
"Whosoever  profanes  the  Name  of  Heaven  (12)  in 
secret  will  suffer  the  penalty  for  it  in  public;  and 
this,  whether  the  Heavenly  Name  be  profaned  in 
ignorance  or  in  wilfulness." 

6.  R.  Ishmael  (13),  his  son,  said,  "He  who  learns 
in  order  to  teach  (14),  to  him  the  means  will  be 

(8)  Well-doing  is  the  fruit  of  well-doing,  and  evil-doing 
the  fruit  of  evil-doing. 

(9)  Or  "do  not  consider  anything  as  being  impos- 
sible." 

(10)  R.  Levitas  lived  probably  about  120  c.e.  Mai- 
monides  declares  that  the  medium  way  between  the  extremes 
of  the  too  Utile  and  the  too  much  is  the  path  of  virtue,  but  ho 
makes  an  exception  in  the  case  of  himiility,  and,  in  accord- 
ance with  this  passage,  considers  the  extreme  of  being  very 
humble  the  virtue.  See  Gorfinkle,  The  Eight  Chapters,  p. 
60,  n.  2. 

(11)  A  contemporary  of  Akiba. 

(12)  "Name  of  Heaven"  is  a  common  substitute  for  the 
"name  of  God." 

(13)  He  lived  about  150  c.e. 

(14)  To  one  who  learns  Torah  and  does  not  teach  it  are 
applied  the  words  in  Num.  XV,  31:  "he  hath  despised  the 
word  of  the  Lord"  {Sanhedrin,  99a). 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  67 

granted  both  to  learn  and  to  teach;  but  he  who 
learns  in  order  to  practise,  to  him  the  means  will 
be  granted  to  learn,  and  to  teach,  to  observe,  and 
to  practise." 

7.  R.  Zadok  said,  "Separate  not  thyself  from 
the  congregation;  (in  the  judge's  office)  act  not 
the  counsel's  part  (15);  make  not  of  the  Torah  a 
crown  wherewith  to  aggrandize  thyself,  nor  a  spade 
wherewith  to  dig"  (16).  So  also  used  Hillel  to 
say,  "He  who  makes  a  worldly  use  of  the  crown  (of 
the  Torah)  shall  waste  away"  (17).  Hence  thou 
mayest  infer  that  whosoever  derives  a  profit  for 
himself  from  the  words  of  the  Torah  is  helping  on 
his  own  destruction. 

8.  R.  Jose  (18)  said,  "Whoso  honors  the  Torah 
will  himself  be  honored  by  mankind,  but  whoso  dis- 
honors the  Torah  will  himself  be  dishonored  by 
mankind," 

9.  R.  Ishmael  (19),  his  son,  said,  "He  who  shuns 
the  judicial  office  rids  himself  of  hatred,  robbery, 
and  vain  swearing  (20) ;  but  he  who  presumptu- 
ously lays  down  decisions  is  foolish,  wicked,  and  of 
an  arrogant  spirit."     10.  He  used  to  say,  "Judge 

(15)  Cf.  chapter  I,  8. 

(16)  I.e.,  for  material  and  selfish  ends. 

(17)  Cf.  chapter  I,  13. 

(18)  R.  Jose  ben  Chalafta  was  a  contemporary  of  R.  Meir. 

(19)  He  Uved  about  160-220  c.e. 

(20)  The  judge  brings  upon  himself  the  hatred  of  the  one 
who  is  disappointed  by  his  judgment.  An  erroneous  judg- 
ment is  equivalent  to  robbery.  When  the  judge  exacts  an 
unnecessary  oath,  perjury  may  result. 


68  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

not  alone,  for  none  may  judge  alone  save  One; 
neither  say  (to  thy  judicial  colleagues),  'Accept  my 
view,'  for  the  choice  is  theirs  (to  concur);  and  it 
is  not  for  thee  (to  compel  concurrence)." 

11.  R.  Jonathan  (21)  said,  ''Whoso  fulfils  the 
Torah  in  the  midst  of  poverty  shall  in  the  end  ful- 
fil it  in  the  midst  of  wealth;  and  whoso  neglects 
the  Torah  in  the  midst  of  wealth  shall  in  the  end 
neglect  it  in  the  midst  of  poverty." 

12.  R.  Meir  (22)  said,  "Lessen  thy  toil  for 
worldly  goods,  and  be  busy  in  the  Torah;  be  hum- 
ble of  spirit  before  all  men;  if  thou  neglectest  the 
Torah,  many  causes  for  neglecting  it  will  present 
themselves  to  thee,  but  if  thou  laborest  in  the 
Torah,  He  has  abundant  recompense  to  give 
thee." 

13.  R.  Elieser  (23),  the  son  of  Jacob,  said,  "He 
who  does  one  precept  has  gotten  himself  one  advo- 
cate; and  he  who  commits  one  transgression  has 
gotten  himself  one  accuser.  Repentance  and  good 
deeds  are  as  a  shield  against  punishment." 

14.  R.   Jochanan,    the    sandal-maker  (24),    said, 

(21)  He  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  second  century  c.e. 
He  was  a  pupil  of  R.  Ishmael  (verse  9). 

(22)  See  chapter  III,  n.  32. 

(23)  He  hved  about  140  c.K. 

(24)  Most  of  the  Rabbis  believed  with  Rabban  Gamaliel 
that  the  study  of  the  Torah  without  employment  brings 
transgression  (chapter  II,  2).  Consequently,  each  invaria- 
bly followed  some  vocation.  Hillel,  the  senior,  gained  his 
livelihood  as  a  wood-chopper;  Shammai  was  a  builder;  R. 
Joshua,  a  blacksmith;   R.  Chanina,  a  shoemaker;   R.  Huna, 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  69 

"Every  assembly  which  is  in  the  Name  of  Heaven 
will  in  the  end  be  established,  but  that  which  is 
not  in  the  Name  of  Heaven  will  not  in  the  end  be 
estabhshed." 

15.  R.  Eleazer,  the  son  of  Shammua  (25),  said, 
"Let  the  honor  of  thy  disciple  be  as  dear  to  thee 
as  thine  own,  and  the  honor  of  thine  associate  be 
like  the  fear  of  thy  master,  and  the  fear  of  thy  mas- 
ter like  the  fear  of  Heaven." 

16.  R.  Judah  (26)  said,  "Be  cautious  in  study, 
for  an  error  in  study  may  amount  to  presumptuous 
sin"  (27). 

17.  R.  Simeon  (28)  said,  "There  are  three  crowns: 
the  crown  of  Torah,  the  crown  of  priesthood,  and 
the  crown  of  royalty;  but  the  crown  of  a  good  name 
excels  them  all." 

18.  R.  Nehorai  (29)   said,   "Betake  thyself  to  a 

a  water-carrier;  R.  Abba,  a  tailor;  R.  Pappa,  a  brewer,  etc. 
Other  Rabbis  whose  names  indicate  their  trades,  as  R.  Jochan- 
an  ha-Sandalar  (Hved  about  150  c.e.),  were  Isaac  Nappacha 
(the  smith)  and  R.  Abin  Naggara  (the  carpenter).  Many 
were  merchants  and  others  agriculturists.  Generally,  the 
Rabbi  studied  during  two-thirds  of  the  day,  and  worked  at 
his  trade  during  the  remainder.  Those  engaged  in  agricul- 
ture would  study  in  the  winter  and  till  the  soil  in  the  sum- 
mer. Consult  Franz  Dehtzch,  Jewish  Artisan  Life  in  the 
Time  of  Christ;  and  S.  Meyer,  Arbeit  und  Handwerk  im  Tal- 
mud, Berlin,  1878. 

(25)  He  lived  about  150  c.e. 

(26)  R.  Judah  ben  Ilai  lived  about  140  c.e. 

(27)  Cf.  chapter  III,  10. 

(28)  On  R.  Simeon  ben  Yochai,  see  chapter  III,  n.  12. 

(29)  He  lived  about  130  c.e. 


70  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

home  of  the  Torah  (30),  and  say  not  that  the  Torah 
will  come  after  thee;  for  there  thy  associates  will 
establish  thee  in  the  possession  of  it;  and  lean  not 
upon  thine  own  understanding"  (31). 

19.  R.  Jannai  said,  "It  is  not  in  our  power  (to 
explain)  either  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked  or  the 
afflictions  of  the  righteous." 

20.  R.  Mattithiah,  the  son  of  Heresh  (32),  said, 
"Be  beforehand  in  the  salutation  of  peace  to  all 
men;  and  be  rather  a  tail  to  lions  than  a  head  to 
foxes"  (33). 

21.  R.  Jacob  (34)  said,  "This  world  is  like  a  ves- 
tibule before  the  world  to  come  ^35);  prepare  thy- 
self in  the  vestibule,  that  thou  mayest  enter  into 
the  hall."  22.  He  used  to  say,  "Better  is  one  hour 
of  repentance  and  good  deeds  in  this  world  than  the 
whole  life  of  the  world  to  come;  and  better  is  one 
hour  of  blissfulness  of  spirit  in  the  world  to  come 
than  the  whole  life  of  this  world." 

23.  R.  Simeon,  the  son  of  Eleazar  (36),  said,  "Do 
not  appease  thy  fellow  in  the  hour  of  his  anger,  and 

(30)  If  there  is  no  teacher  where  you  live. 

(31)  Prov.  Ill,  5. 

(32)  He  lived  about  120  c.e.  in  Rome. 

(33)  It  is  better  to  be  a  pupil  of  great  teachers  than  to  be 
a  teacher  of  worthless  pupils  (Maimonides).  It  is  better  to 
follow  those  who  are  greater  than  to  lead  those  who  are 
inferior. 

(34)  He  lived  about  160-220  c.e. 

(35)  This  world  is  a  bridge  that  leads  to  the  future  world 
(Maimonides). 

(36)  A  pupil  of  R.  Meir.     He  Hved  about  100-220  c.e. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  71 

comfort  him  not  in  the  hour  when  his  dead  hes  be- 
fore him,  and  question  him  not  in  the  hour  of  his  vow, 
and  rush  not  to  see  him  in  the  hour  of  his  disgrace." 

24.  Samuel  (37),  the  younger,  used  to  say, 
"Rejoice  not  when  thine  enemy  falleth,  and  let 
not  thine  heart  be  glad  when  he  stumbleth:  lest 
the  Lord  see  it  and  it  displease  him,  and  he  turn 
away  his  wrath  from  him"  (38). 

25.  Elisha,  the  son  of  Abuyah  (39),  said,  "If  one 

(37)  Samuel  (about  120  c.e.)  is  said  to  have  composed,  at 
the  request  of  R.  Gamaliel  II,  the  prayer  against  heretics, 
added  to  the  "Eighteen  Benedictions"  {Shemoneh  Esreh). 
See  the  Jevoish  Encyclopedia,  vol.  XI,  p.  281. 

(38)  Prov.  XXIV,  17,  18. 

(39)  See  n.  1,  above.  Elisha  ben  Abuyah,  otherwise 
known  as  Acher,  lived  at  the  end  of  the  first  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  second  century.  He  is  charged  by  the  Rabbis 
with  having  aided  the  Romans  in  their  attempts  to  suppress 
the  Jewish  rehgion,  with  having  endeavored  to  estrange  the 
young  from  Judaism  and  from  the  study  of  its  literature, 
with  having  intentionally  and  openly  broken  the  ceremonial 
laws,  and  with  having  desecrated  the  Sabbath.  R.  Mei'r, 
his  pupil,  maintained  a  close  intimacy  with  him,  in  spite  of 
his  apostacy,  having  high  regard  for  Elisha's  intellectual 
worth.  When  reproached  for  this,  R.  Mei'r  said,  "I  eat  the 
kernel,  and  throw  away  the  husks."  Elisha  is  often  referred 
to  as  the  "Faust  of  the  Talmud."  On  his  identification 
with  the  Apostle  Paul,  see  I.  M.  Wise,  The  Origin  of  Chris- 
tianity, p.  311,  and  Danziger,  ibid.,  pp.  304-306.  Some  have 
even  identified  him  with  Jesus.  In  Ahot  de-Rabbi  Nalan, 
a  parable  that  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Jesus,  in  Luke  VI, 
47-49,  is  attributed  to  Elisha.  "A  man  who  does  good  deeds 
and  diligently  studies  the  Law,  to  whom  is  he  likened?  He 
is  like  a  man  building  a  house  with  a  stone  foundation  and 


72  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

learns  as  a  child,  what  is  it  like?  Like  ink  written 
on  clean  paper.  If  one  learns  as  an  old  man,  what 
is  it  like?    Like  ink  written  on  used  paper"  (40). 

26.  R.  Jose,  the  son  of  Judah  (41),  of  Chefar 
Babli  said,  "He  who  learns  from  the  young,  to  what 
is  he  like?  To  one  who  eats  unripe  grapes,  and 
drinks  wine  from  his  vat  (42).  And  he  who  learns 
from  the  old,  to  what  is  he  like?  To  one  who  eats 
ripe  grapes,  and  drinks  old  wine." 

27.  Rabbi  Meir  said  (43),  "Look  not  at  the  flask, 
but  at  what  it  contains:  there  may  be  a  new  flask 
full  of  old  wine,  and  an  old  flask  that  has  not  even 
new  wine  in  it"  (44). 

with  tiles  (on  the  roof) ;  and  when  a  flood  arises,  and  breaks 
against  the  walls,  that  house  cannot  be  moved  from  its  place. 
But  the  man  who  Uves  an  evil  life,  in  spite  of  having  deeply 
studied  the  Law,  to  whom  is  he  like?  He  is  like  a  man  build- 
ing a  house  with  tiles  for  a  foundation  and  with  heavy  stones 
(on  the  roof);  and  when  a  little  rain  comes,  straightway  the 
house  falls  in"  (G.  Friedlander's  translation,  in  The  Jewish 
Sources  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  pp.  259-260).  On  the 
career  of  Acher,  see  Bacher,  ibid.,  pp.  432-436;  Graetz,  His- 
tory, II,  passim;  Myers,  ibid.,  pp.  200-202;  and  Strack, 
Einleitung  in  den  Talmud,  p.  91. 

(40)  What  one  learns  in  youth,  one  retains,  while  the  oppo- 
site is  true  of  learning  in  old  age.  The  Rabbis,  elsewhere, 
liken  learning  in  youth  to  engraving  upon  a  stone,  and  learn- 
ing in  old  age  to  writing  on  the  sand. 

(41)  A  contemporary  of  Judah  ha-Nasi. 

(42)  I.e.,  wine  that  is  not  forty  days  old,  and  not  yet 
clarified. 

(43)  Some  texts  read  "Rabbi,"  i.e.,  Judah  ha-Nasi  (see 
chapter  II,  n.  1). 

(44)  This  verse  expresses  an  opinion  contrary  to  that  of 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  73 

28.  R.  Eleazar  ha-Kappar  (45)  said,  "Envy, 
cupidity,  and  ambition  take  a  man  from  the  world" 
(46).  29.  He  used  to  say,  "They  that  are  born 
are  doomed  to  die;  and  the  dead  to  be  brought  to 
life  again;  and  the  living  to  be  judged,  to  know,  to 
make  known,  and  to  be  made  conscious  that  He  is 
God,  He  the  Maker,  He  the  Creator,  He  the  Dis- 
cerner  (47),  He  the  Judge,  He  the  Witness  (48), 
He  the  Accuser;  He  it  is  that  will  in  future  judge, 
blessed  be  He,  with  Whom  there  is  no  unrighteous- 
ness, nor  forgetfulness,  nor  respect  of  persons,  nor 
taking  of  bribes  (49) ;  and  know  also  that  every- 
thing is  according  to  the  reckoning  (50) :     and  let 

the  preceding  one.     The  mind  of  a  young  man  may  be  more 
mature  than  that  of  an  old  man. 

(45)  A  contemporary  of  Judah  ha-Nasi. 

(46)  Cf.  chapter  II,  16. 

(47)  Cf.  Ps.  XXXIII,  15:  "He  fashioneth  their  hearts 
altogether;  he  hath  regard  to  all  their  works." 

(48)  Cf.  Mai.  Ill,  5. 

(49)  Cf.  II  Chron.  XIX,  7:  "Take  heed  and  act;  for  with 
the  Lord  our  God  there  is  no  injustice,  nor  respect  for  persons, 
nor  taking  of  bribes."  Maimonides  interprets  this  verse  of 
Abot  as  meaning  that  one  cannot  bribe  God  with  good  deeds 
in  order  to  have  bad  deeds  forgiven.  The  one  bad  deed  is 
not  forgiven  even  by  the  doing  of  one  hundred  good  ones, 
but  punishment  is  meted  out  for  the  bad  deed  and  reward 
in  full  for  the  hundred  good  ones.  That  is,  each  action  is 
judged  entirely  on  its  own  merits.  Neither  is  God  a  respec- 
ter of  persons.  On  the  one  hand,  He  punished  Moses  for 
his  anger  at  the  waters  of  Meribah,  and,  on  the  other.  He  re- 
warded Esau  for  honoring  his  parents,  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
for  honoring  God. 

(50)  Maimonides   interprets   as   follows,    "Think    of   the 


74  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

not  thy  imagination  give  thee  hope  that  the  grave 
will  be  a  place  of  refuge  for  thee;  for  perforce  thou 
wast  formed,  and  perforce  thou  wast  born,  and  thou 
livest  perforce,  and  perforce  thou  wilt  die,  and  per- 
force thou  wilt  in  the  future  have  to  give  account 
and  reckoning  before  the  Supreme  King  of  kings, 
the  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He." 
"R.  Chanania,"  etc.,  p.  38. 

physical  things  in  which  man  has  no  choice,  as  our  sages 
said,  'All  is  in  the  power  of  God,  except  the  fear  of  God.'  It 
is  not  said  that  one  must  perforce,  and  against  one's  will, 
sin,  or  that  one  is  constrained  to  journey,  walk,  stand,  etc., 
for  these  are  in  the  power  of  man,  and  are  dependent  upon 
his  own  free  will,  and  not  upon  any  (external)  compelling 
force,  as  we  have  explained  in  chapter  eight."  See  Rawicz, 
Commentar  des  Maimonides,  p.  89,  n.  4,  and  Gorfinkle,  ibid., 
p.  88  et  seq. 


CHAPTER  V 

"All  Israel,"  etc.,  p.  29. 

1.  With  ten  sayings  the  world  was  created. 
What  does  this  teach  us?  Could  it  not  have  been 
created  with  one  saying?  It  is  to  make  known  the 
punishment  that  will  befall  the  wicked  who  destroy 
the  world  that  was  created  with  ten  sayings,  as  well 
as  the  goodly  reward  that  will  be  bestowed  upon  the 
just  who  preserve  the  world  that  was  created  with 
ten  sayings  (1).  2.  There  were  ten  generations 
from  Adam  to  Noah,  to  make  known  how  long- 
suffering  God  is,  seeing  that  all  those  generations 
continued  provoking  him,  until  he  brought  upon 
them  the  waters  of  the  flood  (2).     3.  There  were 

(1)  The  expression  "and  God  said"  occurs  ten  times  in 
Genesis  I  (verses  3,  6,  9,  11,  14,  20,  24,  26,  28,  and  29).  Many 
commentators  count  the  opening  phrase  of  this  chapter,  "In 
the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,"  as 
one  of  the  sayings,  maintaining  that  the  idea  of  saying  is 
impUed  in  it.  Cf.  Ps.  XXXIII,  16.  According  to  the  Rab- 
bis, the  wicked  destroy  and  the  righteous  preserve  the  world, 
and,  since  it  required  ten  sayings  to  create  the  world,  the 
guilt  of  the  sinner  and  the  righteousness  of  the  just  are  em- 
phasized more  than  if  it  had  been  created  merely  by  one  word. 

(2)  The  ten  generations  are  Adam,  Seth,  Enosh,  Kenan, 
Mahalalel,  Jared,  Enoch,  Methusaleh,  Lamech,  and  Noah. 

75 


76  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

ten  generations  from  Noah  to  Abraham,  to  make 
known  how  long-suffering  God  is,  seeing  that  all 
those  generations  continued  provoking  him,  until 
Abraham,  our  father,  came,  and  received  the  re- 
ward they  should  all  have  earned  (3).  4.  With 
ten  trials  our  father  Abraham  was  tried  (4),  and  he 
stood  firm  in  them  all,  to  make  known  how  great 
was  the  love  of  our  father  Abraham  (5).  5.  Ten 
miracles  were  wrought  for  our  fathers  in  Egypt 
(6),  and  ten  at  the  Sea  (7).     G.  Ten  plagues  did 

The  period  from  Adam  to  Noah  is  knowTi  as  the  "generation 
of  the  flood"  {dor  ha-mahhul). 

(3)  These  are  Shem,  Arpachshad,  Shelah,  Eber,  Peleg, 
Reu,  Serug,  Nahor,  Terah,  and  Abraham.  Noah's  good 
deeds  were  sufficient  only  to  save  himself  and  family,  while 
Abraham's  were  sufficient  to  sustain  the  whole  world. 

(4)  These  trials  may  be  reckoned  as  follows:  (1)  his  mi- 
gration, Gen.  XII,  12;  (2)  the  famine  in  Canaan,  XII,  10; 
(3)  the  seizing  of  Sarah  by  Pharaoh,  XII,  15;  (4)  the  battle 
with  the  four  kings,  XIV;  (5)  his  marriage  with  Hagar 
because  of  Sarah's  sterihty,  XVI,  2;  (6)  the  cu'cumcision, 
XVII,  10;  (7)  the  seizing  of  Sarah  by  Abimelech,  king  of 
Gerar,  XX,  2;  (8)  the  banishment  of  Hagar,  XXI,  10; 
(9)  the  banishment  of  Ishmael,  XXI,  10;  and  (10)  God's 
command  to  sacrifice  Isaac,  XXII,  2.  See  Pirke  de-Rabbi 
Eliezer,  chapter  24,  and  Friedlander,  G.,  Rabbinic  Philosophy 
and  Ethics  (London,  1912),  p.  75,  n.  4. 

(5)  For  God.  Some  interpreters  explain  this,  however,  aa 
"the  love  of  God  for  Abraham." 

(6)  That  they  escaped  the  ten  plagues  with  which  the 
Egyptians  were  afflicted. 

(7)  Legend  says  that  at  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  the  ten 
miracles  wrought  were  as  follows:  (1)  the  waters  divided; 
(2)  the  waters  were  like  a  tent,  or  a  vault;    (3)  the  sea-bed 


SxWINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  77 

the  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He,  bring  upon  the  Egyp- 
tians in  Egypt,  and  ten  at  the  Sea  (8).  7.  With 
ten  temptations  did  our  fathers  tempt  the  Holy 
One,  blessed  be  He,  in  the  wilderness,  as  it  is  said, 
"And  they  tempted  me  these  ten  times,  and  have 
not  hearkened  to  my  voice"  (9).  8.  Ten  miracles 
were  wrought  for  our  fathers  in  the  Temple;  no 
woman  miscarried  from  the  scent  of  the  holy  flesh; 
the  holy  flesh  never  became  putrid;  no  fly  (10)  was 
seen  in  the  slaughter-house;  no  unclean  accident 
ever  befell  the  high-priest  on  the  Day  of  Atonement; 
the  rain  never  quenched  the  fire  of  the  wood-pile 
on  the  altar  (11);  neither  did  the  wind  overcome 
the   column   of   smoke   that   arose   therefrom  (12); 

was  dry  and  hard;  (4)  but  when  the  Egyptians  trod  upon 
it,  it  became  muddy  and  slimy;  (5)  the  sea  was  divided  into 
twelve  parts,  one  for  each  tribe;  (6)  the  waters  became  as 
hard  as  stone;  (7)  the  congealed  waters  appeared  like  blocks 
of  building-stone;  (8)  the  water  was  transparent  so  that  the 
tribes  could  see  one  another;  (9)  fresh  drinking  water  flowed 
from  the  congealed  water;  (10)  after  Israel  had  partaken  of 
the  drinking  water,  it  became  congealed,  and  did  not  wet  the 
ground  under  foot.  See  Ginzberg,  Legends  of  the  Jews,  III, 
p.  21  et  seq. 

(8)  This  verse  is  not  found  in  the  Talmudic  versions  of 
Abot.  The  plagues  at  the  sea  are  alluded  to  in  the  "Song  of 
Moses,"  Ex.  XV.     See  the  commentary  of  Bartenora. 

(9)  Num.  XIV,  22.  The  ten  are  enumerated  by  Mai- 
monides,  Bartenora,  Hoffmann,  and  others. 

(10)  The  fly  is  a  symbol  of  impurity. 

(11)  The  altar  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  roofless  Temple- 
hall. 

(12)  The  straight  column  of  smoke  denoted  the  acceptance 
of  prayer  and  sacrifice. 


78  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

nor  was  there  ever  found  any  disqualifying  defect 
in  the  omer  (of  new  barley,  offered  on  the  second 
day  of  Passover)  or  in  the  two  loaves  (the  first 
fruits  of  the  wheat-harvest,  offered  on  Pentecost) 
(13),  or  in  the  shewbread  (14);  though  the  people 
stood  closely  pressed  together,  they  found  ample 
space  to  prostrate  themselves;  never  did  serpent 
or  scorpion  injure  any  one  in  Jerusalem;  nor  did  any 
man  ever  say  to  his  fellow,  "The  place  is  too  strait 
for  me  (15)  to  lodge  over  night  in  Jerusalem." 
9.  Ten  things  were  created  on  the  eve  of  Sabbath 
in  the  twilight  (16):  the  mouth  of  the  earth  (17); 
the  mouth  of  the  well  (18);    the  mouth  of  the  ass 


(13)  See  Lev.  XXIII,  15-17. 

(14)  Every  Sabbath,  twelve  loaves  of  bread  were  placed 
on  a  table  in  the  Sanctuary  "before  the  Lord"  (Lev.  XXIV, 
5-9)  to  serve  as  a  constant  reminder  to  the  twelve  tribes 
that  their  place  was  before  the  altar  of  God. 

(15)  Isa.  XLIX,  20. 

(16)  Since  all  things  were  said  to  have  been  created  dur- 
ing the  first  six  days  of  creation,  and,  since  "there  is  nothing 
new  under  the  sun"  (Eccles.  I,  9),  everything  miraculous  or 
supernatural  that  existed  or  occurred  after  creation  was  ex- 
plained by  the  Rabbis  as  having  been  made  or  preordained 
in  the  twilight  at  the  moment  of  transition  between  the  end 
of  the  work  of  creation  and  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath. 
See  Gorfinkle,  ibid.,  pp.  90-91  and  n.  1. 

(17)  To  swallow  Korah  and  his  followers.  See  Num. 
XVI,  30. 

(IS)  Which  supplied  the  Israelites  with  water  during  their 
wandering  in  the  wilderness.  See  Num.  XXI,  IG,  and  Shab- 
bat,  35a. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  79 

(19);  the  rainbow  (20);  the  manna  (21);  the  rod 
(22) ;  the  shamir  (23) ;  the  shape  of  written  charac- 
ters; the  writing,  and  the  tables  of  stone:  some 
say,  the  destroying  spirits  also,  and  the  sepulchre 
of  Moses  (24),  and  the  ram  of  Abraham  our  father 
(25);  and  others  say,  tongs,  also,  made  with  tongs 
(26). 

10.  There  are  seven  marks  of  an  uncultured, 
and  seven  of  a  wise  man.  The  wise  man  does  not 
speak  before  him  who  is  greater  than  he  in  wis- 
dom; and  does  not  interrupt  the  speech  of  his 
companion;  he  is  not  hasty  to  answer;  he  ques- 
tions according  to  the  subject-matter;  and  answers 
to  the  point;    he  speaks  upon  the  first  thing  first, 

(19)  Balaam's  ass.     See  Num.  XXII,  28. 

(20)  Gen.  IX,  19. 

(21)  Ex.  XV,  16. 

(22)  Of  Moses.     See  ibid.,  IV,  17. 

(23)  A  miraculous  worm  that  split  stones  by  its  look. 
It  was  used,  according  to  legend,  to  engrave  the  names  of  the 
tribes  on  the  jewels  of  the  ephod  of  the  high-priest,  and  was 
also  employed  by  Solomon  in  the  construction  of  the  Temple, 
in  which  no  tools  of  iron  were  used.  See  Gittin,  68a,  and  Sotah, 
48b.  Consult  P.  Cassel,  Shamir,  ein  archdol.  Beitrag  zur 
Natur-  U7id  Sagenkunde,  Erfurt,  1856,  and  art.  Shamir,  in 
Jewish  Encyclopedia. 

(24)  Deut.  XXXIV,  6. 

(25)  Gen.  XXII,  13. 

(26)  An  allusion  to  a  saying  found  in  Tosefta  Enibin, 
"Tongs  are  made  with  tongs;  but  how  was  the  first  pair 
made?  It  could  only  have  been  a  creation  of  God."  One 
instrument  presupposes  another;  one  thing  is  the  cause  of 
another,  but  the  original  cause  is  God.     Cf.  Pesachim,  54a. 


80  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

and  upon  the  last,  last;  regarding  that  which  he 
has  not  understood  he  says,  "I  do  not  understand 
it;"  and  he  acknowledges  the  truth.  The  reverse 
of  all  this  is  to  be  found  in  an  uncultured  man. 
11.  Seven  kinds  of  punishment  come  into  the  world 
for  seven  important  transgressions.  If  some  give 
their  tithes  (27)  and  others  do  not,  a  dearth  ensues 
from  drought  and  some  suffer  hunger  while  others 
are  full.  If  they  all  determine  to  give  no  tithes,  a 
dearth  ensues  from  tumult  (28)  and  drought.  If 
they  further  resolve  not  to  give  the  dough-cake  (29), 
an  exterminating  dearth  ensues.  Pestilence  comes 
into  the  world  to  fulfil  those  death  penalties  threat- 
ened in  the  Tor  ah,  the  execution  of  which,  how- 
ever, is  within  the  function  of  a  human  tribunal 
(30),  and  for  the  violation  of  the  law  regarding  the 
fruits     of    the    seventh    year  (31).      The    sword 

(27)  See  chapter  I,  n.  37. 

(28)  Of  war,  when  agriculture  is  neglected,  and  crops  are 
destroyed,  etc. 

(29)  Num.  XV,  20:  "Ye  shall  offer  up  a  cake  of  the  first 
of  your  dough  for  a  heave  offering."  This  commandment  is 
observed  in  spirit  to-day  by  the  Jewish  housewife,  who  takes 
a  part  of  bread  which  is  kneaded,  and  burns  it,  after  reciting 
the  blessing,  "Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord,  our  God,  King  of 
the  universe.  Who  hast  sanctified  us  by  Thy  commandments, 
and  commanded  us  to  separate  the  challah."  The  ninth 
treatise  of  the  Order  Zeraim  of  the  Mishnah  is  called  Challah. 
See  Friedlander,  Jewish  Religion,  p.  357. 

(30)  The  execution  of  which  is  in  the  hands  of  God. 

(31)  That  is,  the  Sabbatical  year  or  the  year  of  release 
(ha-shemittah) .  See  Ex.  XXIII,  10  et  seq.,  and  Lev.  XXV, 
1-7.     It  is  commanded  that  the  land  be  allowed  to  lie  fallow 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  81 

(32)  comes  into  the  world  for  the  delay  of  justice,  and 
for  the  perversion  of  justice,  and  on  account  of  the 
offence  of  those  who  interpret  the  Torah  not  accord- 
ing to  its  true  sense  (33).  Noxious  beasts  come 
into  the  world  for  vain  swearing  (34),  and  for  the 
profanation  of  the  Divine  Name  (35).  Captivity 
comes  into  the  world  on  account  of  idolatry,  immor- 
ality, bloodshed,  and  the  neglect  of  the  year  of  rest 
for  the  soil  (31).  12.  At  four  periods  pestilence 
grows  apace:  in  the  fourth  year,  in  the  seventh, 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  seventh  year,  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  each 
year:  in  the  fourth  year,  for  default  of  giving  the 
tithe  to  the  poor  in  the  third  year  (36) ;  in  the 
seventh  year,  for  default  of  giving  the  tithe  to  the 
poor  in  the  sixth  year  (37) ;  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  seventh  year,  for  the  violation  of  the  law  re- 
garding the  fruits  of  the  seventh  year  (31),  and  at 


during  that  year,  that  there  be  no  sowing,  nor  reaping,  nor 
]5runing  of  the  vineyards,  and  that  the  servants,  strangers, 
and  animals,  as  well  as  the  owner,  shall  share  in  the  spon- 
taneous growth  of  the  fields  and  the  vineyards.  See  also 
Deut.  XV,  1-11,  and  Tractate  Shebiit  of  the  Mishnah. 

(32)  I.e.,  war. 

(33)  By  prohibiting  the  permissible  and  permitting  the 
prohibited. 

(34)  Cf.  chapter  IV,  9. 

(35)  Cf.  chapter  IV,  5. 

(36)  See  Deut.  XIV,  28,  29;   XXVI,  12,  and  also  above, 
chapter  I,  n.  37. 

(37)  Of  the  septennial  cycle.  The  tithe  was  to  be  brought 
at  the  end  of  every  three  years. 


82  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

the  conclusion  of  the  Feast  of  Tal)crnaclcs  in  each 
year,  for  robbing  the  poor  of  the  grants  legally 
assigned  to  them  (38). 

13.  There  are  four  characters  among  men:  he 
who  says,  "What  is  mine  is  mine  and  what  is  thine 
is  thine,"  his  is  a  neutral  character;  some  say, 
"This  is  a  character  like  that  of  Sodom"  (39);  he 
who  saj^s,  "What  is  mine  is  thine  and  what  is  thine 
is  mine,"  is  a  boor  (40);  he  who  says,  "What  is 
mine  is  thine  and  what  is  thine  is  thine,"  is  a  saint; 
he  who  says,  "What  is  thine  is  mine  and  what  is 
mine  is  mine,"  is  a  wicked  man.  14.  There  are 
four  kinds  of  tempers:  he  whom  it  is  easy  to  pro- 
voke and  easy  to  pacify,  his  loss  disappears  in  his 
gain;  he  whom  it  is  hard  to  provoke  and  hard  to 
pacify,  his  gain  disappears  in  his  loss;  he  whom  it 
is  hard  to  provoke  and  easy  to  pacify  is  a  saint; 
he  whom  it  is  easy  to  provoke  and  hard  to  pacify 
is  a  wicked  man.  1.5.  There  are  four  qualities  in 
disciples:  he  who  quickly  understands  and  quickly 
forgets,  his  gain  disappears  in  his  loss;  he  who 
understands  with  difficulty  and  forgets  with  diffi- 
culty, his  loss  disappears  in  his  gain;  he  who  under- 

(38)  I.e.,  the  gleanings  and  the  forgotten  sheaves  of  the 
harvest,  the  single  bunches  of  grapes  of  the  vineyard,  and 
the  unreaped  corners  of  the  fields  which  were  assigned  to 
the  stranger,  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow. 

(39)  One  who  neither  gives  nor  takes.  One  who  does  no 
labor  of  love.     Cf.  Ezek.  XVI,  49. 

(40)  He  does  not  know  the  sacredness  of  the  rights  of 
property. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  83 

stands  quickly  and  forgets  with  difficulty,  his  is  a 
good  portion;  he  who  understands  with  difficulty 
and  forgets  quickly,  his  is  an  evil  portion.  16.  As 
to  almsgiving  there  are  four  dispositions:  he  who 
desires  to  give,  but  that  others  should  not  give,  his 
eye  is  evil  toward  what  appertains  to  others  (41); 
he  who  desires  that  others  should  give,  but  will  not 
give  himself,  his  eye  is  evil  against  what  is  his  own; 
he  who  gives  and  wishes  others  to  give  is  a  saint; 
he  who  will  not  give  and  does  not  wish  others  to 
give  is  a  wicked  man.  17.  There  are  four  charac- 
ters among  those  who  attend  the  house  of  study:  he 
who  goes  and  does  not  practise  (42)  secures  the 
reward  for  going;  he  who  practises  (43)  but  does 
not  go  secures  the  reward  for  practising;  he  who 
goes  and  practises  is  a  saint;  he  who  neither  goes 
nor  practises  is  a  wicked  man.  18.  There  are  four 
qualities  among  those  that  sit  before  the  wise: 
they  are  like  a  sponge,  a  funnel,  a  strainer,  or  a 
sieve:  a  sponge,  which  sucks  up  everything  (44);  a 
funnel,  which  lets  in  at  one  end  and  out  at  the 
other;  a  strainer,  which  lets  the  wine  pass  out  and 
retains  the  dregs;  a  sieve,  which  lets  out  the  bran 
and  retains  the  fine  flour. 

19.  Whenever  love  depends  upon  some  material 
cause,   with  the  passing  away  of  that  cause,   the 

(41)  He  does  not  want  his  neighbors  to  be  blessed  because 
of  their  hberahty. 

(42)  The  duties  of  which  he  has  learned. 

(43)  The  commands  of  the  Torah. 

(44)  The  true  and  the  untrue. 


84  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

love,  too,  passes  away  (45) ;  but  if  it  be  not  depend- 
ent upon  such  a  cause,  it  will  not  pass  away  for 
ever.  Which  love  was  that  which  depended  upon 
a  material  cause?  Such  was  the  love  of  Ammon 
and  Tamar  (46).  And  that  which  depended  upon 
no  such  cause?  Such  was  the  love  of  David  and 
Jonathan  (47). 

20.  Every  controversy  that  is  in  the  Name  of 
Heaven  (48)  shall  in  the  end  lead  to  a  permanent 
result,  but  every  controversy  that  is  not  in  the 
Name  of  Heaven  shall  not  lead  to  a  permanent 
result.  Which  controversy  was  that  which  was  in 
the  Name  of  Heaven?  Such  was  the  controversy 
of  Hillel  and  Shammai  (49).  And  that  which  was 
not  in  the  Name  of  Heaven?  Such  was  the  contro- 
versy of  Korah  and  all  his  company  (50). 

21.  Whosoever  causes  the  multitude  to  be  right- 
eous, over  him  sin  prevails  not;  but  he  who  causes 
the  multitude  to  sin  shall  not  have  the  means  to 
repent  (51).  Moses  was  righteous  and  made  the 
multitude  righteous;  the  righteousness  of  the  mul- 
titude was  laid  upon  him,  as  it  is  said,  "He  exe- 

(45)  Lasting  love  is  disinterested  love. 

(46)  See  II  Sam.  XII. 

(47)  See  I  Sam.  XVIII,  1. 

(48)  I.e.,  a  conti-oversy  to  arrive  at  the  truth. 

(49)  See  chapter  I,  n.  29. 

(50)  See  Num.  XV,  1  et  seq. 

(51)  He  who  leads  the  people  astray  is  punished  by  being 
prevented  from  repenting.  This  does  not  mean,  however, 
that  man,  in  general,  does  not  act  in  accordance  with  his 
own    free    will.     Maimonides,    in    discussing    this    problem, 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  85 

cuted  the  justice  of  the  Lord  and  his  judgments 
with  Israel"  (52).  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat, 
sinned  and  caused  the  multitude  to  sin;  the  sin  of 
the  multitude  was  laid  upon  him,  as  it  is  said,  "For 
the  sins  of  Jeroboam  which  he  sinned  and  which 
he  made  Israel  to  sin"  (53). 

22.  Whosoever  has  these  three  attributes  is  of 
the  disciples  of  Abraham,  our  father,  but  whoso- 
ever has  three  other  attributes  is  of  the  disciples 
of  Balaam,  the  wicked  (54).  A  good  eye  (55),  a 
humble  mind,  and  a  lowly  spirit  (are  the  tokens)  of 
the  disciples  of  Abraham,  our  father;  an  evil  eye,  a 
haughty  mind,  and  a  proud  spirit  (are  the  signs)  of 
the  disciples  of  Balaam,  the  wicked.  What  is  the 
difference  between  the  disciples  of  Abraham,  our 
father,   and    those  of    Balaam,  the  wicked?     The 

says,  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  Shcmonah  Perakim,  "Just 
as  some  of  man's  undertakings,  which  are  ordinarily  subject 
to  his  own  free  will,  are  frustrated  by  way  of  punishment,  as, 
for  instance,  a  man's  hand  being  prevented  from  working 
so  that  he  can  do  nothing  with  it,  as  was  the  case  of  Jero- 
boam, the  son  of  Nebat,  or  a  man's  eyes  from  seeing,  as 
happened  to  the  Sodomites,  who  had  assembled  about  Lot, 
Hkewise  does  God  withhold  man's  ability  to  use  hia  own 
free  will  in  regard  to  repentance,  so  that  it  never  occurs  to 
him  to  repent,  and  he  thus  finally  perishes  in  his  own  wicked- 
ness."    See  ed.  Gorfinkle,  p.  94  et  seq. 

(52)  Deut.  XXXIII,  21. 

(53)  livings  XV,  30.  Cf.  Sanhedrin  X,  2:  "Three  kings 
have  no  portion  in  the  world  to  come  .  .  .  Jeroboam,  Ahab, 
and  Manasseh." 

(54)  See  Num.  XXII-XXIV. 

(55)  See  chapter  II,  note  30. 


8G  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

disciples  of  Abraham,  our  father,  enjoy  this  world 
and  inherit  the  world  to  come,  as  it  is  said,  "That 
I  may  cause  those. that  love  me  to  inherit  substance, 
and  may  fill  all  their  treasuries"  (56);  but  the  dis- 
ciples of  Balaam,  the  wicked,  inherit  Gehinnom 
(57),  and  descend  into  the  pit  of  destruction,  as  it 
is  said,  "But  thou,  O  God,  wilt  bring  them  down 
into  the  pit  of  destruction:  bloodthirsty  and  de- 
ceitful men  shall  not  live  out  half  their  days;  but 
I  will  trust  in  thee"  (58). 

23.  Judah,  the  son  of  Tema,  said,  "Be  bold  as 
a  leopard,  swift  as  an  eagle,  fleet  as  a  hart,  and  strong 
as  a  lion,  to  do  the  will  of  thy  Father  who  is  in 
Heaven "(59).     24.  He  used  to  say  (60),   "At  five 

(56)  Prov.  VIII,  21:  "Substance,"  i.e.,  in  the  future 
world;  "treasures,"  i.e.,  in  this  world. 

(57)  See  chapter  I,  n.  18. 

(58)  Ps.  LIV,  24. 

(59)  Cf.  "Our  Father  which  is  in  Heaven"  of  the  "Lord's 
Prayer"  (Matt.  VI,  9).  The  conception  of  God  as  a  "Father" 
goes  back  to  earUest  times.  See  Gen.  XLIX,  19,  20;  Ex. 
IV,  22;  Deut.  XXXII,  6;  II  Sam.  V,  44;  Ps.  LXXXIX,  27, 
28;  Isa.  LXIII,  16,  LXIV,  8,  and  Mai.  II,  10.  Deut.  XXXII, 
6,  reads,  "is  He  not  thy  Father?  "  and  Isa.  LXIII,  18,  "Doubt- 
less Thou  art  our  Father."  In  the  Mishnah  we  find,  "Who 
purifies  you?  Your  Father  which  is  in  Heaven"  (Yoina  VIII, 
8);  "On  whom  have  we  to  lean?  On  our  Father  which  is  in 
Heaven"  {Sotah,  IX,  15),  and  similar  passages.  The  Rabbis 
constantly  referred  to  God  as  "Father"  (see  Schechter,  As- 
pects, pp.  46,  49,  50-51).  They  took  issue,  of  course,  with 
the  New  Testament  conception  of  God,  in  not  admitting  and 
in  denouncing  the  idea  of  a  mediator.  To  them  all  mankind 
were  the  sons  of  God.     That  the  Rabbis  borrowed  this  God- 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  87 

years  (the  age  is  reached  for  the  study  of  the)  Scrip- 
ture, at  ten  for  (the  study  of)  the  Mishnah  (61), 

idea  and  the  expression  "Our  Father  which  is  in  Heaven" 
from  Christianity  is  untenable,  for,  as  Herford  {Pharisaism, 
120  et  seq.)  points  out,  such  borrowing  would  have  been  abhor- 
ent  to  them.  This  expression  was  undoubtedly  current  long 
before  and  during  the  time  of  Jesus,  and  it  represented  a 
conception  of  the  divine  acceptable  to  both  the  Rabbis  and 
Jesus.  The  Rabbis  had  no  quarrel  with  Christianity  on  this 
score,  but  did  not  admit  the  "sonship"  of  God  in  the  Chris- 
tian sense.  The  expressions  "Our  Father"  and  "Our  Father 
which  is  in  Heaven"  are  found  frequently  in  the  Jewish 
Prayer-book.  On  this  subject,  consult  Taylor,  Sayings,  pp. 
124,  176,  and  G.  Friedlander,  The  Jewish  Sources  of  the  Ser- 
mon  on  the  Mount,  chapter  X.  For  a  comparison  of  other 
parts  of  Ahot  with  the  New  Testament  see  Fiebig,  Pirque 
'aboth,  especially  the  Nachwort,  pp.  42^3,  and  G.  Fried- 
lander,  ibid.,  passim. 

It  seems  that  originally  Abot  ended  here,  as  in  the  Machzor 
Vilrij.  The  verses  which  follow  were  added  from  other 
sources.  See  Bacher,  Agada  der  Tanaiten,  I,  378;  Taylor, 
ibid.,  p.  95,  n.  46,  p.  96,  n.  47;  Hoffmann,  Die  erste  Mischna, 
p.  30;  idem,  Abot,  p.  358,  notes  106  and  108;  and  Strack, 
Spriiche,  p.  46,  notes  t  and  u. 

(60)  Taylor  makes  this  verse  an  addendum  to  chapter  V, 
and  calls  it  "The  Ages  of  Man."  Cf.  Shakespeare's  "Seven 
Ages  of  Man."  See  in  the  Jetvish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Ages 
of  Man  in  Jewish  Literature,  the  Seven,  and  Schechter,  Studies, 
I,  pp.  299-300. 

(61)  The  Mishnah  is  the  oral  or  unwTitten  law  based  on 
the  written  law  contained  in  the  Pentateuch  (see  chapter  I, 
n.  1).  The  Mishnah,  par  excellence,  is  the  codification 
made  by  Judah  ha-Nasi  (see  chapter  II,  n.  1).  It  is 
divided  into  six  orders  or  sections  known  as  sedarim.  They 
are  (1)  Zeraim,  "seeds,"  which  contains  the  laws  regarding 
the  cultivation  of  the  land  and  its  products,  introduced  by  a 


88  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

at  thirteen  for  (the  fulfihnent  of)  the  command- 
ments (62),  at  fifteen  for  (the  study  of)  the  Talmud 
(63),  at  eighteen  for  marriage,  at  twenty  for  seek- 

treatise  concerning  prayer  and  benedictions  (Berachot);  (2) 
Moed,  "festivals,"  treating  of  the  laws  of  the  Sabbath  and 
the  festivals;  (3)  Nashirn,  "women,"  regulations  concern- 
ing marriage  and  divorce;  (4)  Nezikin,  "injuries"  or  "dam- 
ages," civil  and  criminal  law;  (5)  Kodnshim,  "holy  things," 
the  laws  of  sacrifice  and  of  the  service  of  the  Temple;  and 
(6)  Tohorot,  "purifications,"  dealing  with  the  clean  and  the 
unclean.  Each  order  is  subdivided  into  treatises  (ynassektot) , 
there  being  in  all  63  such  subdivisions.  The  Mishnah  is 
known  as  the  shas  (D"CJ'),  which  word  is  formed  from  the 
first  letters  of  the  words  shishah  sedarim  (six  orders).  The 
Talmud  is  also  similarly  termed.  For  a  discussion  of  the 
name,  origin,  contents,  compilation,  etc.,  of  the  Mishnah, 
see  Mielziner,  Ititroduclion  to  the  Talmud,  p.  4  et  seq.',  art. 
Mishnah,  in  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia  and  the  authorities 
cited  there;  Strack,  Einlciiung,  p.  2,  15  et  seq.,  22  et  seq., 
and  Geiger,  Judaism  and  its  History,  p.  239  et  seq. 

(62)  At  thirteen,  the  Jewish  boy  becomes  bar  mitzwah, 
i.e.,  "a  son  of  commandment."  The  rites  and  ceremonies 
connected  with  the  bar  mitzwah  of  to-day  cannot  "be  clearly 
traced  earlier  than  the  fourteenth  century"  (Abrahams, 
Jeivish  Life  in  the  Middle  Ages,  p.  32).  See  Schiirer,  His- 
tory, II,  ii,  p.  53  and  n.  38;  Schechter,  Studies,  I,  p.  306  et 
seq.,  and  art.  Bar  Mitzwah,  in  Jeivish  Encyclopedia. 

(63)  Lit.,  "teaching,"  "learning,"  "study."  Here,  it 
signifies  study  for  the  purpose  of  elucidating  the  Mishnah. 
Some  texts  read,  "for  the  study  of  the  Gemara."  The  Ge- 
mara  (from  the  Aramaic,  meaning  "learning,"  "comple- 
tion") is  a  collection  of  explanations  and  discussions  on  the 
Mishnah.  The  word  Talmud  was  afterwards  applied  to  the 
Mishnah  plus  the  Gemara.  There  is  a  translation  of  the 
Talmud  in  English  by  Rodkinson,  but  it  is  free  and  incom- 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS  89 

ing  (a  livelihood)  (64),  at  thirty  for  (entering  into 
one's  full)  strength,  at  forty  for  understanding,  at 
fifty  for  counsel,  at  sixty  (a  man  attains)  old  age, 
at  seventy  the  hoary  head,  at  eighty  (the  gift  of 
special)  strength  (65),  at  ninety,  (he  bends  beneath) 
the  weight  of  years,  at  a  hundred  he  is  as  if  he 
were  already  dead  and  had  passed  away  from 
the  world." 

25.  Ben  Bag  Bag  said,  "Turn  it  (66),  and  turn 
it  over  again,  for  everything  is  in  it,  and  contem- 
plate it,  and  wax  grey  and  old  over  it,  and  stir  not 
from  it,  for  thou  canst  have  no  better  rule  than 
this." 

plete  in  parts.  See  Mielziner,  Introduction  to  the  Talmud; 
Bacher,  art.  Talmud,  in  Jewish  Encyclopedia;  idem,  art. 
Gemara,  in  the  Hebrew  Union  College  An7iual  (Cincinnati, 
1904) ;  E.  Deutsch,  What  is  the  Talmud? ;  Darmsteter,  The 
Talmud;  Strack,  Einleitung  in  den  Talmud,  pp.  4-5,  6  et 
seq.,  99  et  seq.,  113  et  seq.,  132  et  seq.;  Schechter,  On  the  Study 
of  the  Talmud,  in  Studies,  II,  p.  102  et  seq.;  Herford,  Pharisa- 
ism, pp.  53—54. 

(64)  Lit.,  "at  twenty,  to  pursue."  This  has  been  vari- 
ou.sly  interpreted  as  follows:  (1)  for  seeking  a  livelihood 
(Bartenora,  Hoffmann,  Strack,  Singer);  (2)  for  the  pursuit 
of  miUtary  service  (cf.  Num.  I,  3,  and  Deut.  XXIV,  5;  Mach- 
zor  Vitri,  p.  551.  Shakespeare's  "Then  a  soldier");  (3)  the 
age  "to  pursue  him  for  his  deeds,  for  the  celestial  bet  din 
(tribunal)  does  not  punish  at  an  age  less  than  twenty  (Bar- 
tenora's  second  explanation;  cf.  Rashi  on  Num.  XVI,  27); 
(4)  for  the  pursuit  of  ideals  (Taylor) ;  (5)  to  pursue  the  com- 
mandments (Siddur  Korban  Minchah). 

(65)  Cf.  Ps.  XC,  10. 

(66)  The  Torah. 


90  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

26.  Ben  He  He  said,  "According  to  the  labor  is 
the  reward"  (67). 

"Rabbi  Chanania,"  etc.,  p.  38. 

(67)  The  last  two  verses  are  ascribed  by  Abot  de-Rabbi 
Natan  to  Hillel  (chapter  XII,  ed.  Schechter,  p.  55).  Ben 
Bag  Bag  and  Ben  He  He  were  probably  proselytes  and  dis- 
ciples of  Hillel.  See  Bacher,  ibid.,  pp.  10-12,  Taylor  and 
Hoffmann,  ad  loc,  and  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  art.  Ben  Bag  Bag. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  ACQUISITION   OF  THE   TORAH  (1) 

"All  Israel,"  etc.,  p.  29. 

The  sages  taught  (the  following)  in  the  language 
of  the  Mishnah — blessed  be  He  that  made  choice  of 
them  and  their  Mishnah.  1.  R.  Meir  (2)  said, 
"Whosoever  labors  in  the  Tor  ah  for  its  own  sake 
merits  many  things;  and  not  only  so,  but  the  whole 
world  is  indebted  to  him:  he  is  called  friend,  be- 
loved, a  lover  of  the  All-present,  a  lover  of  man- 
kind: it  clothes  him  with  meekness  and  reverence; 
it  fits  him  to  become  just,  pious,  upright,  and  faith- 
ful; it  keeps  him  far  from  sin,  and  brings  him  near 
to  virtue:  through  him  are  enjoyed  counsel  and 
sound  knowledge,  understanding  and  strength,  as 
it  is  said,  'Counsel  is  mine,  and  sound  knowledge; 
I  am  understanding;  I  have  strength'  (3).  It  gives 
him  sovereignty  and  dominion  and  discerning  judg- 
ment; to  him  the  secrets  of  the  Torah  are  revealed; 
he  is  made  like  a  never-failing  spring  and  like  a 
river  that  flows  on  with  ever-increasing  vigor;    he 

(1)  See  Introduction  pp.  18—19. 

(2)  Chapter  III,  n.  32. 

(3)  Prov.  VIII,  14.  Wisdom,  representing  the  Torah, 
utters  these  words. 

91 


92  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

becomes  modest,  long-suffering,  and  forgiving  of 
insults;  and  it  magnifies  and  exalts  him  above  all 
things." 

2.  R.  Joshua,  the  son  of  Levi  (4),  said,  "Every- 
day a  bat-kol  (5)  goes  forth  from  Mount  Horeb,  pro- 
claiming and  saying,  'Woe  to  mankind  for  con- 
tempt of  the  Torah,  for  whoever  does  not  occupy 
himself  in  the  Torah  is  said  to  be  under  the  divine 
censure,  as  it  is  said,  'As  a  ring  of  gold  in  a  swine's 
snout,  so  is  a  fair  woman  who  turneth  aside  from 
discretion'  (6);    and  it  says,  'And  the  tables  were 

(4)  R.  Joshua  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  third  century. 

(5)  Bat  kol  (lit.,  "daughter  of  a  voice"  or  "daughter- 
voice"),  "a  small  voice,"  "sound,"  "resonance,"  not  "echo," 
as  it  is  often  translated.  The  expression  bat  kol  was  used 
in  place  of  the  longer  one  bat  kol  min  ha-shamayim,  which 
is  "a  heavenly  or  divine  voice  which  proclaims  God's  will  or 
judgment,  His  deeds,  and  His  commandments  to  individ- 
uals or  to  number  of  persons,  to  rulers,  countries,  and  even 
to  whole  nations."  This  celestial  voice  was  a  means  of  di- 
vine revelation  lower  than  that  of  prophecy.  According  to 
Schechter,  it  has  two  peculiar  features:  first,  its  messages 
are  reproductions  of  verses  or  sentences  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment or  from  the  Apocrypha,  and  secondly,  "it  is  audible  only 
to  those  who  are  prepared  to  hear  it."  See  Weber,  AUsynag. 
Theol.,  pp.  187-189;  Low,  Gesammelle  Schriflen,  II,  p.  58, 
n.  1;  Kitto's  Cyclopedia  of  Biblical  Lit.,  art.  Bath  Kol,  and 
Ludwig  Blau,  art.  Bat  Kol,  in  Jewish  Encyclopedia. 

(6)  Proverbs  XI,  22.  The  word  eiTJ  "censured,"  "placed 
under  ban,"  by  a  form  of  Rabbinical  interpretation  known 
as  notarikon  (stenographer's  method,  abbreviation),  is  con- 
nected with  the  words  of  this  verse  in  Proverbs:  2riT  dO 
r]X3  Another  instance  of  this  kind  of  interpretation  is 
in'  connecting  the  word  ""SJi^  "I,"  the  first  word  of  the  Deca- 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERI^^  93 

the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing  was  the  writing 
of  God,  graven  upon  the  tables'  (7).  Read  not 
charut  (8),  but  cherut  (9),  for  no  man  is  free  but 
he  who  occupies  himself  in  the  learning  of  Torah. 
But  whosoever  labors  in  the  Torah,  behold  he  shall 
be  exalted,  as  it  is  said,  'And  from  Mattanah  to 
Nachaliel,  and  from  Nachaliel  to  Bamot'  "  (10). 

3.  He  who  learns  from  his  companion  a  single 
chapter,  a  single  rule,  a  single  verse,  a  single  expres- 
sion, or  even  a  single  letter,  ought  to  pay  him  honor, 
for  so  we  find  with  David,  King  of  Israel,  who 
learned  only  two  things  from  Ahitophel  (11),  and  yet 
regarded  him  as  his  master,  his  guide,  and  familiar 

logue,  with  the  phrase:  n^DH^  TT'^nD  ^E^sJ  NJ^5  "I  (God) 
myself  have  written  (the  Torah),  and  delivered  it,"  or  with  the 
words:  .iTn^  HTdD  no-yj  HT'n^^"  a  pleasant  saying,  writ- 
ten and  delivered"  {Shabbat,  105a).  See  art.  Nolarikon, 
in  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  and  Strack,  Einleitung,  p.  130. 

(7)  Ex.  XXXII,  16. 

(8)  Graven.  The  phrase  «!?«  •  •  •  npn  f'N  "do  not  read  . . . 
but"  followed  by  a  suggested  reading  different  from  the  orig- 
inal, does  not  mean  that  the  Rabbis  offered  an  emendation 
of  the  bibUcal  text.  It  was  merely  a  change  of  the  text  for 
homiletical  purposes.  See  Bacher,  Die  dlteste  Terminologie 
der  jiidischen  Schriftauslegung,  p.  175  et  seq.;  Friedlander, 
Jewish  Religion,  p.  204,  and  Tahnudical  dictionaries,  s.v. 

(9)  Freedom. 

(10)  Num.  XXI,  19  Mattanah,  "gift";  Nachaliel,  "the 
heritage  of  God";  Bamot,  "high  places."  The  names  of 
these  three  encampments  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness 
are  interpreted  according  to  their  Uteral  meanings. 

(11)  Ahitophel  deserted  David  to  take  up  the  cause  of 
his  rebelhous  son,  Absalom.  See  II  Sam.  XVI,  15;  XVII,  1 
et  seq. 


94  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

friend,  as  it  is  said,  "But  it  was  thou,  a  man,  mine 
equal,  my  guide,  and  my  familiar  friend"  (12). 
Now,  is  it  not  an  argument  from  minor  to  major 
(13),  that  if  David,  the  King  of  Israel,  who  learned 
only  two  things  from  Ahitophel,  regarded  him  as 
his  master,  guide,  and  familiar  friend,  he  who  learns 
from  his  fellow  a  chapter,  rule,  verse,  expression, 
or  even  a  single  letter,  is  bound  to  pay  him  honor? 
And  "honor"  is  nothing  but  Torah,  as  it  is  said, 
"The  wise  shall  inherit  honor  (14)  and  the  perfect 
shall  inherit  good"  (15).  And  "good"  is  nothing 
but  Torah,  as  it  is  said,  "For  I  give  you  good  doc- 
trine, forsake  ye  not  my  Torah"  (16). 

4.  This  is  the  way  that  is  becoming  for  the  study 
of  the  Torah:  a  morsel  of  bread  with  salt  thou 
must  eat  (17),  "and  water  by  measure  thou  must 
drink"  (18),  thou  must  sleep  upon  the  ground,  and 
live  a  life  of  trouble  the  while  thou  toilest  in  the 
Torah.  If  thou  doest  thus,  "Happy  shalt  thou  be, 
and  it  shall  be  well  with  thee"  (19),  "happy  shalt 
thou  be"  in  this  world,  and  "it  shall  be  well  with 
thee"  in  the  world  to  come  (20). 

(12)  Sec  Ps.  LV,  14.  The  two  things  David  learned  are 
hinted  at  in  Ps.  LV,  15. 

(13)  See  chapter  I,  n.  17. 

(14)  Prov.  Ill,  35. 

(15)  Ibid.,  XXVIII,  10. 

(16)  Ibid.,  IV,  2. 

(17)  Even  he  who  has  only  bread  and  salt  to  eat  must 
busy  himself  with  the  study  of  the  Torah. 

(18)  Ezck.  IV,  11. 

(19)  Ps.  CXXVIII,  2.  (20)  Cf.  chapter  IV,  1. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  95 

5.  Seek  not  greatness  for  thyself,  and  court  not 
honor;  let  thy  works  exceed  thy  learning;  and 
crave  not  after  the  table  of  kings;  for  thy  table  is 
greater  than  theirs,  and  thy  crown  is  greater  than 
theirs,  and  thy  Employer  is  faithful  to  pay  thee  the 
reward  of  thy  work. 

6.  The  Tor  ah  is  greater  than  the  priesthood  and 
than  royalty,  for  royalty  demands  thirty  qualifi- 
cations (21),  the  priesthood  twenty-four  (22),  while 
the  Torah  is  acquired  by  forty-eight.  And  these 
are  they:  by  audible  study;  by  a  listening  ear 
(23);  by  distinct  pronunciation;  by  understand- 
ing (24)  and  discerrmient  of  the  heart;  by  awe, 
reverence,  meekness,  cheerfulness  (25);  by  minis- 
tering to  the  sages,  by  attaching  one's  self  to  col- 
leagues, by  discussion  with  disciples;  by  sedate- 
ness;  by  knowledge  of  the  Scripture  and  of  the 
Mishnah;  by  moderation  in  business,  in  intercourse 
with  the  world,  in  pleasure,  in  sleep,  in  conversa- 
tion, in  laughter;  by  long  suffering;  by  a  good 
heart;  by  faith  in  the  wise;  by  resignation  under 
chastisement;  by  recognizing  one's  place,  rejoicing 
in  one's  portion,  putting  a  fence  to  one's  words, 
claiming  no  merit  for  one's  self,  by  being  beloved, 
loving  the  All-present,  loving  mankind,  loving  just 

(21)  See  Sanhedrin  II,  2-5. 

(22)  See  Baba  Kamma,  110b,  etc. 

(23)  Singer,  combining  the  first  two,  reads  "by  audible 
study." 

(24)  Taylor  omits  "understanding  and." 

(25)  Taylor  and  Hoffmann  add  "by  purity"  (mnt31). 


96  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH   FATHERS 

courses,  rectitude,  and  reproof;  by  keeping  one's  self 
far  from  honor,  not  boasting  of  one's  learning,  nor 
delighting  in  giving  decisions;  by  bearing  the  yoke 
with  one's  fellow,  judging  him  favorably,  and  lead- 
ing him  to  truth  and  peace;  by  being  composed  in 
one's  study;  by  asking  and  answering,  hearing  and 
adding  thereto;  by  learning  with  the  object  of 
^/Caching,  and  by  learning  with  the  object  of  prac- 
tising; by  making  one's  master  wiser,  fixing  atten- 
tion upon  his  discourse,  and  reporting  a  thing  in 
the  name  of  him  who  said  it.  So  thou  hast  learned, 
''Whosoever  reports  a  thing  in  the  name  of  him 
that  said  it  brings  deliverance  into  the  world,"  as 
it  is  said,  "And  Esther  told  the  king  in  the  name  of 
Mordecai"  (26). 

7.  Great  is  the  Torah,  which  gives  life  to  those 
that  practise  it  in  this  world  and  in  the  world  to 
come,  as  it  is  said,  "For  they  are  life  unto  those 
that  find  them,  and  health  to  all  their  flesh"  (27); 
and  it  says,  "It  shall  be  health  to  thy  navel,  and 
marrow  to  thy  bones"  (28);  and  it  says,  "It  is  a 
tree  of  life  to  them  that  grasp  it,  and  of  them  that 
uphold  it  every  one  is  rendered  happy"  (29);  and 
it  says,  "For  they  shall  be  a  chaplet  of  grace  unto 
thy  head,  and  chains  about  thy  neck"  (30);  and  it 
says,  "It  shall  give  to  thine  head  a  chaplet  of  grace, 
a  crown  of  glory  it  shall  deliver  to  thee"  (31);  and 
it  says,  "For  by  me  thy  days  shall  be  multiplied, 

(26)  Esth.  II,  22.  (29)  Prov.  Ill,  18. 

(27)  Prov.  IV,  22.  (30)  Ibid.,  I,  9. 

(28)  Ibid.,  Ill,  8.  (31)  Ibid.,  IV,  9. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  97 

and  the  years  of  thy  life  shall  be  increased"  (32); 
and  it  says,  "Length  of  days  is  in  its  right  hand; 
in  its  left  hand  are  riches  and  honor"  (33);  and  it 
says,  "For  length  of  days,  and  years  of  life,  and 
peace  shall  they  add  to  thee"  (34). 

8.  R.  Simeon,  the  son  of  Judah,  in  the  name  of 
R.  Simeon,  the  son  of  Yohai,  said,  "Beauty,  strength, 
riches,  honor,  wisdom,  old  age,  a  hoary  head,  and 
children  are  comely  to  the  righteous  and  comely  to 
the  world,  as  it  is  said,  'The  hoary  head  is  a  crown 
of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  righteousness' 
(35) ;  and  it  says,  '  The  glory  of  young  men  is  their 
strength,  and  the  adormnent  of  old  men  is  the  hoary 
head'  (36);  and  it  says,  *A  cro^vn  unto  the  wise 
is  their  riches'  (37);  and  it  says,  'Children's  chil- 
dren are  the  crown  of  old  men,  and  the  adornment 
of  children  are  their  fathers'  (38);  and  it  is  said, 
'Then  the  moon  shall  be  confounded  and  the  sun 
ashamed;  for  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  reign  in  Mount 
Zion  and  in  Jerusalem,  and  before  his  elders  shall 
be  glory'  "  (39).  R.  Simeon,  the  son  of  Menasya, 
said,  "These  seven  qualifications  which  the  sages 
enumerated  as  becoming  to  the  righteous  were  all 
realized  in  Rabbi  Judah,  the  Prince  (40),  and  in  his 
sons." 

9.  R.  Jose,  the  son  of  Kisma  (41),  said,  "I  was 

(32)  Prov.  IX,  11.  (37)  Prov.  XIV,  24. 

(33)  Ibid.,  Ill,  16.  (38)  Ibid.,  XVII,  6. 

(34)  Ibid.,  Ill,  2.  (39)  Isa.  XXIV,  23. 

(35)  Ibid.,  XVI,  31.  (40)  See  chapter  II,  n.  1. 

(36)  Ibid.,  XX,  29.  (41)  He  Uved  about  120  c.e. 


98  SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS 

once  walking  by  the  way,  when  a  man  met  me  and 
saluted  me,  and  I  returned  the  salutation.  He  said 
to  me,  *  Rabbi,  from  what  place  art  thou? '  I  said  to 
him,  'I  come  from  a  great  city  of  sages  and  scribes.' 
He  said  to  me,  'If  thou  art  willing  to  dwell  with  us 
in  our  place,  I  will  give  thee  a  thousand  thousand 
golden  dinars  and  precious  stones  and  pearls.'  I 
said  to  him,  'Wert  thou  to  give  me  all  the  silver 
and  gold  and  precious  stones  and  pearls  in  the  world, 
I  would  not  dwell  anywhere  but  in  a  home  of  the 
Torah ';  and  thus  it  is  written  in  the  book  of  Psalms 
by  the  hands  of  David,  King  of  Israel,  'The  law  of 
thy  mouth  is  better  unto  me  than  thousands  of 
gold  and  silver'  (42);  and  not  only  so,  but  in  the 
hour  of  man's  departure  neither  silver  nor  gold  nor 
precious  stones  nor  pearls  accompany  him,  but 
only  Torah  and  good  works,  as  it  is  said,  'When 
thou  walkest  it  shall  lead  thee;  when  thou  liest 
down  it  shall  watch  over  thee;  and  when  thou 
awakest  it  shall  talk  with  thee'  (43);  'when  thou 
walkest  it  shall  lead  thee' — in  this  world;  'when 
thou  liest  down  it  shall  watch  over  thee'^ — in  the 
grave;  and  'when  thou  awakest  it  shall  talk  with 
thee' — in  the  world  to  come.  And  it  says,  'The 
silver  is  mine,  and  the  gold  is  mine,  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts'  "  (44). 

10.  Five  possessions  the  Holy  One,  blessed  be 
He,  made  especially  His  own  in  His  world,  and  these 
are  they,  the  Torah,  heaven  and  earth,  Abraham, 

(42)  Ps.  XCIX,  72.  (44)  Hag.  II,  8. 

(43)  Prov.  VI,  22. 


SAYINGS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS  99 

Israel,  and  the  house  of  the  sanctuary.  Whence 
know  we  this  of  the  Tor  ah?  Because  it  is  written, 
"The  Lord  possessed  me  as  the  beginning  of  his 
way,  before  his  works,  from  of  old"  (45).  Whence 
of  heaven  and  earth?  Because  it  is  written,  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  The  heaven  is  my  throne,  and  the 
earth  is  my  footstool:  what  manner  of  house  will 
ye  build  unto  me?  and  what  manner  of  place  for 
my  rest?"  (46);  and  it  says,  "How  manifold  are 
thy  works,  0  Lord!  In  wisdom  hast  thou  made 
them  all:  the  earth  is  full  of  thy  possessions"  (47). 
Whence  of  Abraham?  Because  it  is  written,  "And 
he  blessed  him,  and  said,  'Blessed  be  Abram  of  the 
Most  High  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth" 
(48).  Whence  of  Israel?  Because  it  is  written, 
"Till  thy  people  pass  over,  O  Lord,  till  the  people 
pass  over  which  thou  hast  acquired"  (49);  and  it 
says,  "As  for  the  saints  that  are  in  the  earth,  they 
are  the  noble  ones  in  whom  is  all  my  delight"  (50). 
Whence  of  the  house  of  the  sanctuary?  Because 
it  is  written,  "The  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  hast 
made  for  Thee  to  dwell  in,  the  sanctuary,  0  Lord, 
which  Thy  hands  have  prepared"  (51);  and  it  says, 
"And  he  brought  them  to  the  border  of  his  sanc- 
tuary, to  this  mountain  which  his  right  hand  had 
acquired"  (52).  11.  Whatsoever  the  Holy  One, 
blessed  be  He,  created  in  His  world  He  created  but 

(45)  Prov.  VIII,  22.  (49)  Ex.  XV,  16. 

(46)  Isa.  LXVI,  1.  (50)  Ps.  XVI,  3. 

(47)  Ps.  CIV,  24.  (51)  Ex.  XV,  17. 

(48)  Gen.  XIV,  16.  (52)  Ps.  LXXVIII,  54. 


100         SAYINGS   OF   THE    JEWISH   FATHERS 

for  His  glory,  as  it  is  said,  "Everything  that  is 
called  by  my  name,  it  is  for  my  glorj^  I  have  created 
it,  I  have  formed  it,  yea,  I  have  made  it"  (53); 
and  it  says,  "The  Lord  shall  reign  for  ever  and 
ever"  (54). 

"Rabbi  Chanania."  etc.,  p.  38. 

(53)  Isa.  XLIII,  7.  (54)  Ex.  XV,  LS. 


"^m^  p-iD  nnt<  p"iD  30 

D^<:  DHin  ^i^i  nosn  ^b  -igini  -t^sn  o^i^i?  Tin-ifcyn 

ri'2  im  ]ip.  b^ip'!  im  ]]:p,  un-o^  im  jyp 
n"i^{<").^j;p  V.  ^TOI  '!yo  nnin  nm  ]i:^p,  yJT:^^^ 

•I-       V       ■•      T    :  -  -;    I     viT  t;       •:•  -i't-t:        -t 

:T]:>:p  r-it<n  n^i^n  n^tyy  n^^n'2  d^d  "^^  ?i"'tyyo 

...  T ;  -      I        T        -       -        r.     :  T  :-         .    .    .     i  .p  .         ^   .^ .  _ 

i2:;ny_DTOi  'V^o  b^'p''.  'Y'^^l ^VK^  np  ii'»^:j 

:^^T  1^413  ''^-i^<.  t:;'ipp  ;^  n^y.?  ?]r^i5^'^'  jIdd  dtoi 
:)T^]  mp^  ny.  in  lt:;"ip  ^Dfb^  dn^51  hdini 
it<"35  ^<^  iQ^ly?  ^^"in  "qn?  i:^npn  i^ns'^TiD  to  «' 
rc^^l?  'l"i2D>]  ^pi^'5  Nip:"  ^3  ic^^;^"  '"nn?^  t^^fc^ 


29  ''IDW  piD  nD^<  plD 

onra  n"it<s:n  "ii:in]  :{>iiii^n  npn^  Tiin?  nn^t;;; 
:Dn1D^<□'':^n"^^<Dm  d^j::  ■':3  c^jpi  nnoy  "id\ni 

T       -:  ■  T         viv  :    •  :  •  t      ••  :  ■'":         viv      :  ; 

nljoii  ^'>  ■nbD-'>3  nonn  n^)2)  nx^bn  nnom  "idini 

t:t;I—  T^^        T~—         T  tt;-         t:t:       ••        : 

-15  i"ivp^  "'51  nD5  v:p|  i:;?!  P^t^'n-'Di  i?;^  in^ 
DV^i^ib  D^DDH  i^Dt:;"  niiD  ^Dt:;'  t^  ,nDlt<  ^<*d:o 
,NpP|Ti5  ''pv  ^51  ^ni<^  :n55T^3n?  iDp.o:  o^p 
"IOjI  "in^  D^^^  "^p  yjpi  "^"1^  "^i.^np  ^n^;n  nn^^  Dy.p 
DpD  npHD  ''pi  ^-ib  -ip^  ♦  ntw'  t  ^n"irii"l]  nl^^'  ^^' 
□^:iPlD-^(^']  DV'^q-b^  rhr\:\  n^^.p  lb  ^^nc^5  „-nj>^ 
in^  ^:{!<.n:pipp?  i^Dp.-inrn^'Tjjjiii-]  ^'21,^^  -^c^^  .^:ni 

Hi^yn^l  DH]]  ,nP3"b?  ''^  101^  nn^<  d^  lb' ''^■lp^^ 

PID  bipp]  "q^g  in  •'T"bv_D"'^n:;i  nppp  did?  p] 

nni  t<bi  HDD  t<!p  Di^b  t  D^tD  r^i  □iN-i^'ti^"  im^DC 

T  T  :       '  VlV  T  T  ;  .  —   .       I       ..  ^  f  ._.  y     .      . 


-^ID^D  pID  r\)2^  ^p^D  28 

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n^i^a  t<^Do  1^D^^<  'di:^"3  idt  "iDiNn-b3  nioi^ 

:0"ll)2  W^  TlbD^  "inDi^  IDNHI  "IDvS^jt^'  n%b 

T  T;  ;  T  ••    :       iviv"  ••   ;    V  V        1  ~         ~  v. -.  v  t    ^  t 

r\r\  D^lyD  n'tyly!?  a^n  njnu  ^^ms:;  rnin  n!^*,-;^  t 
n^5"'PD>i  D'TiSV^^p  on  n^T'^^  iD^;}^',^2n  Dbr;2) 
;rpniDVP>''ipt;^'l  ?iT^^.  v^  nwi  "IDl^l  :x?:-i.o 

iTljiiPi-^i  n-i,N;^n  nifpy.^  Ju'^lp  '^^^'^'^^  1^^  "i^'^l 
npiNi  :D^:n  mp  ^^  "opri  ?]p;  Q7  ^5  ^d  nt:'}<] 

□''jnm  r\2''wry\  r\2pir\  noDnm  ilDDm  it:r"vm  n'Dm 


27  ^ID\D  P"1D  nD^<  p"lD 

n^'H  "iy_^  ''.''ni  i^^n  fn^n  bp_]  nr)\^r\  mwr?2  d^qi 

'IDi  n^i-i^n-ip  nnl"'  nnin  n^n^  1 :  ^n^iy^f  "i^t^;  t]^ 
mr}:;)r\]  nt^ip  D^\Lfb^'2  mp:\  n-o^DW  -nD'pDn 
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♦Dn^q  pBi 5  ,D^D5q  i:;"iDe/?  (nnn^o?)  ,nnp6?^3 

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nnl^vnln^n-n^  Dni^  ^Dlpon'm  D^1^<  ,2)n^  ,iD!iy  b 


•^i:;::;  pid  hdn*  ^pno  26 

^l2;^?  Tin  n^s  dht  dt:  I'o^w  nii^  ^"ipJ  nmn^ 
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^p  N^J^j  riln-i5  ^^  r^^'  nnn  N^i^j  nnn  ^-pp) 
niin  "niD^n?  ptyi^;?/  ^p'^gi  nnin  "no^n^  P^i>:^ 
^i!<^^mni  ^i<^i?q:  njnppi  "i^^^^A^  n^y_op  nj  nn 
nn^<  ^D^n'1^^  in^  pis  mDn^  -iofei  ^  miDD 
nn^  nl^<  i^^ds^  lt<  "in^  1)21  in  int<  piDc  ix 
^^<1^'  l^p  "in:?  ^T^^  ]W  n)23  d  •Jin;^  -jn^ 
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'>Di^!si  •'51^,5  ^i^iJ^f  nn^<i  np^;^.t^"  i^i^pi  idi!^^^  i^n 
'n.^g  in  npi  npnj  ^p_  cnDi  ^<S-:il  ♦•'^.Tpi 

•T    :        •■  ;  TV  V    I      •    ~:  ••  ~  T  V  ■•  T  :    • 

p*)D  raqp  npi^n  ,i^"i^pi  idi^5<  di  ixip  "15^5 
int<  "im  l^<  "in^i  pioe  it<  nnvv  n^^n'^  in^ 

iDxiii:^'  n"iln  5*<i:5N  1D2  ]^2<i  oiDD  13  r^:b 

-    ■::   V  •.•  T  TV  T       '      •■    :  t  -  ;  • 

2)^  TNI  oiD  i^m"*  D^iD^Dm  Abny>  □'•DDn  idd 

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•^nnin  D:^b  ^nna  did  np^  o  "idn^i:;'  n'^ln  n'^n 


25  ^aiD  p-lD  r,i2v^  'p-iD 


tzHD  iro^if  rrTLi  nj^r^n  ]Wb':i  n-iD^n  lit:/ 
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nci  ""T^  inDippi  Npn.TlP  "inpnnpi  jpwi  "i^ 

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^^_  Tnpplnpi  in^TOi  1:13^^;!:'^.  bnyo)  nn  "rj-iNi 

on?  ''iJ^  ^^.g''^l  ^•Ht'^^  ^'^^  "1'^'?  ^^^*"'''  ^""'^  ^3 


••ty^Dn  p"iD  nut<  piD  24 

Dv^:i'^^  n^D^HD  nnnn  e;'D3i  nniD-i  nni  ny-i 

^:    •  T    •   :    -   •  T  T     :  viv:         t        :     -     i:        't  t 

•     ;  -  ;  ~  v:  V  V  T  -  T    ^   T  •    -;        :  v  ~  T     '^  T 

-iD^<:^  nnt:^"  ^^<Db  onni^T  d^n-^-i  D^::;-ir  yt^^nn 

-  v:  V  V  ~i~  '■  :  •  ■    :     :  ■       ■■  •      :        ^  t    t  t 

HDiDi  D^Di  ^i:;:^  nn:^'  1^2^  oinln  dm^^^  nn^i 

T    :  •  •    T     ••   :  -        ^  |-  ••   :  •  ••    •  •       v:         t  -  : 

T    ••     '  V         T       :  IT  -  :   V       ■":-        v     ••  :         v:v 

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.    .  •■;•.•  ;        '  V  •       T  :      •  -  •  T  V      IV  'V  Tl  ;    •  - 

n^ty^  D^^^^t:^""!?  n:pT>  o':?/^"15  n^y>  D^t^pq"!5 


23  ''W^^n  p"iD  nDN  piD 

»iq  i^i^V'toi  115  D"":???^"  ^??t^"^T  ^2n-n^<  :p'iD 

T  V   1    ~         V        viv    '     :        ~  '  iv~     .   V         T    f         V         T  T : 

1  -■  -  T   ■■   :  T~T         --T  tt:  t       :  ••.•  t  ~:  ~ 

t^^n  'iv^  ruby^b  n^L::}  ru*^<  121:1  nibn  htni^'i 
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T  'TT  ■  -T  ~~:~  tt;         t        :  T*'v: 

nT^iU)  Dpnn!^  hdid  d^W  n\L^b  ^'^rwLf  wbnn 

1..  ,    -.    -  .  ..  tI  _  .      .     .  ^  I       ..  .|-     ^  ... 

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HDT  IW'ti  ♦  nD'iL^n  VTiiDVb  1T3  Dp^CDD-]"'t<  D^^IH 

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I  -  .  .  -._....._.  y  •     -  T  ;  •    —  T  V  T  •  ; 

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'iD^^n  p-)D  nD^<  pnD  22 

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*i?T  P.^n  II  i3;si^  l^^?J^  yjot^'^  n^^^p  oiD  p^n  11 
u:;i^  ^<b]  in^;^"  n:^nn  -npi^  '':oi^3  nnp  ysi^t  ^t^ 

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ionp  y\^Q  :nDJi^  nigi^'p  ^W^)  :idq  /D^pdh 


21  ^iD'r^n  p-iD  ni2N  piD 

TV        •       ■•  :  •         ■•   ~  :  ■•         T  T  T  T    :  t  ;    •     ;       v  i : 

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T  T    :         TT  T   ;  V  TV        ••  T  :  •    •  :  T         : 


^ly-'DH  piD  DDvN  piD  20 

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rp^ipn  n^^  Q^"lP^^<  t:^:i  *nln^ni  Dnppni  Dnpr. 

■• :  !•  T  T    T  :  -        V  ••  :  v  v  t     '  : 


19  ^^'DH  pic  n\2^  pnD 

]W  ^^n  "qns  inb  -i^n^^t<in  ]^"i  ^^s  ^<in  -ipn  mi 

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^yi^T)  P"1D  HD^  ^p-iD  18 

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"•^l  "^  :pinD  T;-i5y_nDin5  i^l5^  nijn  Nin  hd^ 

"ID  -iDli^n  r\xM  ^^Dsn  nDS  i:/''^  nmn^  ns  ^dI'' 
I .    ..    -     ..     . .  —    - .      .     ^  .    _  .. 

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-TO  D''^^!ilD  ilD3m  m^<nm  n^apn  ntm  'y^^n 

•     •  T  -  :       T-;  —  :         T :  I  •  -  ••  t  i  -  — 

T  4.»-  ..  XT  T'^t'-  TTT 

j^Tjn^i  p;7in>i  j^t^  jn^  c^nni  nl^nn^  D^npni 


17  ^^T^^i  piD  nQ.^  pnD 

lb"t:/:  nninD  n^py;a^<l  •n;^:;^  n^in  d^^dd  ■?]> 

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•|Tr  T  ;        IT-  T  It-  t  ;  ';"-:  : 

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Dj'iyn  "':p5  "injnD^  n^Tt  np  o^iyn  nDi><  Dp^\ 


^V'^y)  piD  HD^  p-)D  16 

:^:w^  im  ""^p  ligp  d""^."!©:  nop^  Qip^'  ot;^ 
nplx  (1:5)  b^v.i;>^f)  ^51  ^  -D^n  bi^n?  "i''iP5  int<i 

TT       It:  t        t:~  :'•—  :       t        v~::         tt  ^-; 

-by.^^nq  TDiii  n"3Tnn-n^f  ^!?npn-^5\  nln^T^Xi 
13>  D^ni  ,^w  nyDi^"i  ^ni  nj-'j^  liipo  pi\b  no 
it2iir\-bii,)  nm  ^bn  '»Tn^  n  r^ty*  n-'P''  n  mh 

-  :        TV        T  V        •    •  :    '  T    •    ••  V        •    •  :    •  T      •    : 

nplt<  ig:l''  ">5"3  f*'  *n^i<  ^b]  Q''t<^i DH^' ^n$;n  li^^p 
•to]  1^'yp  nD^s>  IDID  ^;vp  n^irn'ri^  op-PG"^? 

ninj  nnlns  pt!;j;i  pfe?^.5  ^^^pp  nin  nplt<  tnp 


15  ^^y^  pis  DQN  p-)D 

{^ppn  (-15)  ijv^!?i^  '•31  i^  :nD  nwv.!^  ^Vl  ^^] 

nisp^  -niDSq  "tDiii  in  in  nn:  vW'\  r;ip  'npit< 

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^\D^b\D  p-^D  nDt<  pnD  14 

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:iNT  b<b  ni^3  n:t^'?i  i:i!.n  rbv^  .thi  dn  nd^ ^5 


13  "^W^^ID  p-iD  nD^<  pnD 

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T      T;      V  ■       ~  T       *^    T         J     •  T   T    T  V  •         •  I        V|T    T         •  •  »^ 

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nyn:  tat  nsn  (npn^)  d^:d  i^^np^ii^^-iti^^D^D^Dn 

T  ~  V  -  •  T  -  v:  .•  •.•  '     T  -  ■  T  :l ;  •  V  V  t 

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tr\22  W  mon  ^bj  on'^  jn:L:;*  anb  nymj  nnn^ 

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'    ^w^b\D  pnD  nynn  piD  12 

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IV    ••  T  I     T  -      -      I  IV    ••  T  •  : 

nnl:  Diprsn  nn  r^  i^dm  nnlj  ninsn  nn  t^i^l:/ 


11  ^ID'^blD  piD  DDN  •'plD 

♦D*:;^"  i<b>i.  ^b  inv  ')i2\d  '^^ipn^i  ;^  \x-)^^  r^p'p  iroi 
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ib)  imn  |n';5^  !5y_  i'pdn^'  -0k;"  ,"ioin  ]iyps^  ''5"l^ 

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^bN?  nnin  nDi  vbv^  npNi  nn^s  in^t?;  ^y.  t>:)H\iJ 

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^V  vjy.D'jnij  rn;n  '^^y  i^dd  pi.lcn-i:'p]  px  "t]!! 

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^:c;  pnD  nD{<  piD  lo 

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9  ''j\D  p"iD  m::^^  pnD 

]n^ij:  5  TH]  niniD^ppq-b^'  p;n  1;:;^  am^^  nip.) 
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nrlN  ""Dl^  •^n  I' :  □i:5lyiTl?2  □"INiTD^^  D^N''*:ilD  HlnBH 

....  .-  t'^ti-  ttt  V  ••  •: 

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t:^>:p■^^?  ^^20^  nnN^'pi  (n^cnDi)  yntc^'  nisinpa 
ciprsn  ^:9>  □'Ji^uni  D''nq"!  n^^  ^Dp..T]p^D:^ 
npn-nii  D;5^<  "ti-i.n:  ^i"l^  mnni  lurn?  "i^^^^t?^' 

Wn^-HD  vil  nnln  i1d>^  ipi^"  niq  ,"^D1^<  ijv!?^ 
iDivS  iTH  t<iM  ND  :pnn  n^pn  ^ynj  n5"]n  iD'^n] 


(^31)  i^pn  iriDG  ''Dl''  C^^l)  ini^l"^  nt^"t<  ^<:;:3q-|5 

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11^:15 1^,^^^  nDTH}^  ""Jx  nt<1")  ^dd^  ln^< :  y"3  D^ 


7  '':ty  pno  nDJ<  piD 

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:    ••         ••:  I    ..  ..  T  T  V  T    •  TV 

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niD^  "iDti;i  nnrt:;  "!:j3  miin  "iddh  d^'hd  mm  ,nnD 
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Vi^*  113  nv.  nnin  mn'pn  np;  nDl^<  ^'^t^^n  nmn^^ 

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^^^^^  :pn'i  ny_tf^'5  D^^^^  ib  D''iplyr^<iDnvNtjn  nyj^"5 
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5  XWD^I  p-)D  DDX  p")D 

nln^n-n^  yri^  Dibtz/  nil")]  Q  i^i^"  3nlb^  pq^^'^tj; 

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nip.]  nsin  n^^itD^]p  "ilD^  ^3jp.?]n"jin  n&v./"i^i{< 
bi<'bm  ]T)  '^3  :nlD^  d-i^d  "idds  DiNrri^D-n^^  ^spo 

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t;--  :'t*:'  I-         'ITT  :  't-;- 

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niD]^  Nin  ^"n|i  tt^ipn  ny-i  npiN  «;^pri3  N;^;n  ''5"? 
^y^W^  nnm  !?^i^^.  ipiv  IV-Pr*  Y^^  n 


]w^i  pit^  mDt<  piD  4 

np^:  pD  'inDG  n^'N?  npn\  !^p_  n!pt<  in^.v? 
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n;^Di^* '  np^'>  iip^:  oDlnip  i<5^'  ^^515  "i^"]  ".l") 

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")DT  p"is  |"rt  lyby  one  nnja  i3  nsti'  pD^y»  |ti  ith  rdd  7*13 
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njxporj^ ''"i;  nfe^i^D  ^i^^o  "ip  ni?i^  i^T.  ^)^^  O'lTI^ 

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DDiD  ''t:;':^^  nnoD  n^t^^DJi  d^^^d:!^  D^;pn  d^jdtS 

llVPic^  3  :n-iin>rD  ity^j.n^li  cin''P^n  iTpy.pi 

niU3;n  by_i  nninn  by.  nply  o^lyn  cnDi  n^^b;^ 
Ssp  1D1D  c;>j^  D^^p^iNt  :i  ranpn  nib>p^  by_l 

vn  x!5t^  DID  bsp!^  njD-by  Dnn-n^<  n^^mi2n 

•.-TV  T  :         ..  I  - ;         T  :         ^-        -  T  V  •     :    -    ;   - 

D"nsb5p^  r\2'crbv}<bw  ^irrm  Q^t^p^pn  Dn?yp 
:Dn^l5Tn^^  t<p^n  r\rfi\:f  r\)Q)Dr}^bn'^w^  P^n^OP 

3 


"PIRKE  ABOT" 


HEBREW    TEXT 

From  the  Roedelheini  Edition  of  the  Siddur 


SECOND  EDITION 


NEW   YORK 
BLOCH   PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

"  The  Jewish  Book  Concern  " 

1916 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


\flM 


t»5^- 


■  APR  1 7  rags 
JUN] 


•tJ/IW2 


3  ISO*. 


30»n-7,'70(N8475s8) — C-120 


I 


3 1 158  00573  9254 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  999  734    7 


DU^  ^"512 


^PIRKE    ABOT" 


